I'll Give You The World
by Alytiger
Summary: Draco falls for the know-it-all of the Golden Trio and he tries to win her heart the only way he knows how. He will buy her the world. [COMPLETE]
1. The Party

_Hey! For those who are waiting for an update on Drinny, I am currently working on chapter 3, but I got this idea after binging a bunch of Dramione. It will end up being a fairly long chapter fic, but I don't think it's going to have any sort of regular update time [do any of my fics though?]  
_

 _Disclaimer: The only think I own is the plot_

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She got that prickly feeling again. That itch on the back of her neck that felt like someone was watching her. It was a life-saving feeling during the war, but she no longer needed it, and couldn't figure out how to turn it off. She sighed to herself _of course_ someone was watching her; she was Hermione-bloody-Granger and she was at some stupid Ministry event. She let her eyes scan the crowd as she looked for Harry or Ron.

She soon locked eyes with her almost-brother and he sent her a bored look. Harry was trapped in a conversation with one of his fans and Hermione gracefully extracted him from the woman's chatty clutches. "Sorry, I was just wondering if I could borrow Harry for a moment please."

The woman fawned over Hermione for a minute before walking away. "Thanks 'Mione. Merlin that woman was talkative. It was 'thank you this' and 'oh my I'm such a fan' that." Harry wrapped his arms around Hermione's waist and pulled her into a hug. "Well enough about our fans." He said with an eye roll. "How have you been? Still looking for a job?"

Hermione nodded. "I know how much you and Ron love your Auror training, but I can't do that. I've had enough fighting to last a lifetime."

"You know you could always get a job at the Ministry. Kingsley said he would love to have you."

Hermione sighed. "Yes, yes I know. It's just that I don't want to get a job just because I'm a war heroine."

Harry laughed and rolled his eyes. "Well if the Ministry doesn't want to hire the brightest witch of our age who got all O's on her Newts then I'm not sure they should hire anyone."

"Well when you put it like that…" Hermione grinned. "I'll think about it Harry. I truly will." She slowly scanned the room again. "I should go and be social with other people or someone might think I'm trying to steal you away from Ginny."

"Let them gossip." Harry said as he kissed her cheek. "Don't forget to save me a dance!" He called as he walked away to find his girlfriend.

"Prat" Hermione called to his back with a smile. She turned and managed to bump into someone. "Oh I'm sorry; I wasn't watching where I was going." She said at the same time he said.

"Forgive me." He straightened her up and stepped back, keeping one hand on her arm. "You're looking well Granger."

" _Malfoy_ , what are you doing here?" Hermione said incredulously.

"Well Granger." The blond drawled. "I was invited to this event." At Hermione's silent question he explained. "I helped pay for quite a few repairs and Shacklebolt thinks he can thank me by inviting me to these."

There was a pause in the conversation and Draco bowed to the puffy-haired witch. "I shall take my leave now. Goodnight and I am sorry for bumping into you."

"Thank you for catching me." She said as she watched him walk away.

"Well the Wrackspurts seem to be surrounding him now." A soft voice said from behind Hermione's shoulder.

"Luna! How are you? I didn't think you'd be back from your trip yet." Hermione wrapped her friend in a tight hug.

"Well we did manage to see some Blibbering Humdingers, but our trip to see the Crumple-Horned Snorkack was a failure." The blonde said with a shake of her head, causing a yellow rose to fall from her hair.

As she braided it back into her hair Hermione smiled. "I like the flowers, but I'm not quite sure what all of them are."

"Yellow roses, gardenias, and cosmos." Luna said with an airy smile. "It bodes well for tonight." Her brow crinkled slightly. "Well as long as the Wrackspurts behave."

Hermione nodded confusedly at the spacey Ravenclaw. "Well I hope the-uh-Wrackspurts behave."

Luna laughed. "Yes you would hope for that. The flowers do tell, don't they?" Luna nodded once at Hermione before gliding off.

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 _I have found that I absolutely adore writing Luna! She shall be very important to this story ;) Also, I shall be dropping little hints and if you can guess them correctly you get a cookie :3  
_


	2. The Leaky

_Hello! I have finally cranked out chapter two! It's really hard to get everything I want to happen set up, but the final product shall be worth it! I hope you all are as excited about this as I am :3  
_

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Hermione, Harry, Luna, Cho, Ginny, and Neville were all hanging out at the Leaky Cauldron for the monthly get-together of Dumbledore's Army. Even when they were missing people the group was still lively and happily chattering about what they were all up to now-a-days. "Well I have some big news guys." Neville said and all the conversation stopped. "Me and Hannah are getting married." He looked lovingly over at his fiancé as she walked out from behind the bar and the table burst into cheers.

The whole table turns to Hannah as she walks up to the group. "Well I'm guessing Neville spilt the beans?" She said with a laugh.

"Can we see the ring?" Ginny said with a squeal. The women all cooed over the pretty rock while the men congratulated Neville.

Luna just looked at everything with a smile on her face. "I'm glad that you were able to survive through the Nargles and Wrackspurts." She paused and looked thoughtful for a moment. "I wonder if I would be able to wear a Lion-Badger hat to the wedding."

Neville smiles at her. "That would be fine Luna and thank you all for your congratulations." And with that the conversation turned to the others around the table and the night finished smoothly.

That night Hermione was curled up on the couch of her flat when there was a tap on the window. She grumbled, but stood to let the owl in. The little owl dropped the small package and then stood on the windowsill. Hermione gave the owl a treat and opened the box. Inside was a small pure-white flower with six petals* and a white tulip. "Oh, how pretty!" The owl chose that moment to fly off. Hermione shut the window and went to put the flowers in a vase. As soon as she sat back down on her couch there was another tapping on her window. Hermione sighed and stood up to let yet another owl into her home. "Why am I so popular tonight?" She asked the eagle owl as it stood on the windowsill. "Ow!" The owl bit Hermione in the hand as she tried to take the letter off of its leg. "Nasty bugger" She griped as it looked meaningfully at the bowl of owl treats. "Oh you want a treat for that you little monster? Well you can have one after I get my letter!" The owl seemed to huff before it flew off. "Hey! I didn't get my letter yet you brute!" She called as she made a grab for the owl, but it evaded her and flew off into the night. Hermione shut the window and turned to her familiar. "I wonder who that was from Crooks." The cat just meowed and went into the bedroom. "Yes, sleep does sound nice Crooks. I'll be there in a minute." She picked up the book she had been attempting to read and placed it back on the bookshelf before she went to join Crookshanks in bed.

The next morning Hermione was woken up by Harry flooing into her flat. "Hermione! Hello! It's me, Harry!" He called as he walked in. Crookshanks leapt out of the bed and went to greet the man as Hermione rolled over and groaned. "Hey 'Mione Crooks looks like he wants to eat me. Have you fed your beast today?" At that the witch threw off her covers and padded out of her bedroom.

"Hey Harry." She said as her familiar waltzed after her. "Come-on Crookshanks lets get you some food before you nibble on Harry. Ginny wouldn't be too happy with you if you did that." The cat meowed and sat down next to his food bowl.

As Hermione fed Crookshanks Harry started speaking. "I thought we could go out today and talk about what department in the Ministry that you want to work in and then we can stop by and get all the paperwork squared away." He smiled at his almost-sister. "If everything goes quickly then we can go out for celebratory dinner tonight."

"Harry, I haven't even decided if I want to work at the Ministry or not." Hermione sighed. "I don't need to work with all of the money we got after the war ended."

Harry's mouth fell open. "Yeah, but I can't see you not working. You love to learn and challenge yourself. How could you just live like a pureblood for the rest of your life?"

"Harry James Potter just because someone is a pureblood doesn't mean they have loads of money and can afford to not work. Ron's a pureblood and his family isn't rich."

"Sorry 'Mione." Harry said, thoroughly chastised.

"It's okay. Just give me a chance to get dressed and then we can talk more." Hermione said as she walked towards her bedroom. A few minutes later Hermione walked back into the kitchen to see Crookshanks and Harry staring each other down. "Crooksy are you scaring poor Harry?" She crooned as she picked up the large beast.

"I'm not scared of Crookshanks!" He sputtered.

She placed her familiar back on the ground and wiped cat fur off of her jumper. "Well let's go to get some food." She said as she took Harry's hand and they Apparated to the Three Broomsticks.

They found seats and quickly ordered some food. "So how come you don't want to work for the Ministry?"

"I just don't see a position that I would enjoy."

"What about the Magical Creatures Department? You could work on passing Creature Rights Laws."

"Yes, but I'm not sure…" She trailed off and scanned the room when her someone-is-watching-me-sense kicked in. Hermione suddenly stilled as she made eye contact with Draco Malfoy, who was glaring at her from across the room. "Harry, why is Malfoy looking at me like I hexed his familiar?"

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 _*The flower described is the Star of Bethlehem flower_


	3. The Leaky Part 2

_Hiiiiii *hides from the mob* Sorry for the break. I was beta-ing for my sisters new thing (which is a really shitty excuse) and my muse died and I was reading this fabulous fic called_ Bespoke Witch _and just completely failed at my job as a writer and I hope no one ran away and won't come back. I am so so so so so sorry and I promise to try and shove something out soon even if my muse doesn't cooperate._

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"Harry, why is Malfoy looking at me like I hexed his familiar?" Hermione asked her brother. "I swear if looks could kill I'd be a pile of ashes on the floor."

Harry looked at the man in question just as Draco looked away. "I don't know, but it's suspicious."

Hermione giggled. "Don't turn this into sixth year all over again Harry." He scowled at her but kept quiet. "So as I was saying. I'm not sure what I want to do. I know I want to help people and working on Creature Rights Laws would be a good place to do that, but the Ministry is so corrupt that I don't think I would really be able to do much of anything."

Harry sighed. "The Ministry is not corrupt 'Mione. I've told you this before. Kingsly went through after the war and gutted the place, filling it with people we can trust. Everything is fine now."

Hermione growled. "Just because it is swayed into your favor does not mean that the Ministry isn't corrupt anymore! People are still being discriminated against and this time it's the purebloods that are getting the short end of the stick!" Harry opened his mouth but Hermione just rolled over him. "If a family was even neutral towards Voldemort then their opinion doesn't matter and why shouldn't we just take away their rights and do the EXACT SAME THING THAT THEY TRIED DOING TO US! An eye for an eye makes the whole world blind and no one seems to see that but me!" Hermione huffed and glared at the table. "I don't want to work in the Ministry because I know what it's like to be on the short end of the stick and I hate that we are doing that to other people."

Harry sighed and reached out for Hermione's hand. "I know that you're upset, but there is a difference between being born without magical parents and choosing to join an evil man who wanted to kill people. Plus, these people have enough money that paying for repairs won't break the bank."

Hermione jerked her hand away from Harry's. "The problem is that some people sided with him just because they didn't want to die! We HAD to be on the other side, but some people didn't have an obvious side and picked the one that was more likely to try and kill them for not picking them. I can't be mad at them for that! They don't deserve discrimination because they have a healthy sense of self-preservation."

Harry frowned. "Okay. I guess I see your point. I don't see why you don't want to work in the Ministry. You were on the winning side; you were the brains of the Golden Trio. The entire Ministry is catered to through good things at you."

"Don't you see that that's the problem? I don't want to be pampered because I am Hermione Granger! I want to move up and make a difference because my laws are great, not because my name is on them."

Harry grew frustrated. "I get it. You don't want to use the new power your name possess, but when I need to I will pull the Boy-Who-Lived-Twice Card. Why can't you do the same thing to help the oppressed people?"

"Because Harry, not even YOUR name could help the people who sided with Voldemort." She stood up. "I think I'm going home now. See you later Harry." Hermione stomped away to the Floo as she ignored Harry calling her name and the eyes of Draco Malfoy as he watched her make her exit.

After Hermione had cooled down and was no longer mumbling stray curses about The-Boy-Who-Lived-To-Vex-Her there was a _tap tap tap_ on the window and Hermione saw the eagle owl from last night. She growled and opened the window. "I know the drill you wicked pincushion. Treat before Letter." She held out a small owl treat to the bird that he looked at and turned his head away from. "You picky pelican! I'm trying to play by your obnoxious rules!" She made a swipe for her letter. "Now take the bloody treat and give me my ruddy letter!"

The owl seemed to take offense to all the yelling and the substandard treats so it flew away. Hermione growled and murmured all the vile things she would do to the bird the next time it came to her window. This seemed to please Crookshanks as he meowed loudly and hopped up onto the table near her and he rubbed his smooshed face on her arm and purred like a lawnmower. Hermione sighed and petted her large familiar until there was yet another _tap-tap tap-tap_ on the window. Hermione glared out the window, only to find the small owl from yesterday. The owls large eyes looking mildly pleased as it waited to be let in.

"Well hello again. Do you have more flowers for me pet? Did your owner leave his name this time?" Hermione asked as she opened the small box. Inside there were small pink Geraniums, more white Tulips, and a large yellow Rose. "Oh how pretty!" She handed the small owl a treat and went to put these flowers in the vase with the others. The owl followed her to the kitchen and Crookshanks followed the owl. "Stay for a moment while I write I thank you note to your owner, please." Crookshanks took that moment to pounce at the small owl and it chirped before flying back home. "Oh naughty Crookshanks! I was going to write a note to whoever is sending me those flowers before you tried to **eat** the little owl." She half-heartedly swatted at him and he glared at her before turning tail and strutting away.

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 _Now, on my update schedule. I am going to have oral surgery on Monday (May16,2016) so I will not be posting for a few days after that as I recover. Unless my muse just loves loopy me I'm going to be napping and taking pain pills for a few days._


	4. Hermione's Flat

_Hey hey hey! I'm alive, well, and off medications! I'm also giving you this little nugget (which happens to be the longest chapter so far) Enjoy!_

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Hermione was very done with everything and she just didn't have the energy to be properly angry at Crookshanks. "Well at least _someone_ likes me enough to send me flowers. It's probably the only bright spot this week." She shook her head as she prepared for bed. "Hopefully things look better in the morning."

A loud knocking on her door the next morning did not bode well for everything looking up, but Hermione opened the door anyways, wand in hand. "Hello?" She said as she rubbed the sleep from her eyes.

Luna swept past her and spoke with a fanciful sigh in her voice. "Oh isn't it wonderful? I find it so romantic." She turned to give Hermione a wistful smile. "The problem is that the Nargles are stealing them and it I shall have to make you a Butterbeer cap necklace for protection."

Hermione blinked a few times and shut her door. "What? Luna you know I love you dearly, but what exactly are you doing in my flat this early in the morning? And what are you going on about?"

Luna smiled and bent down to pet Crookshanks. "Oh yes of course. I didn't even think to check for Wrackspurts before I began talking." The waifish blonde pulled Hermione into her kitchen. "Having tea and thinking happy thoughts should clear your head right up." She pulled down two mugs and began making tea with as much ease as she would in her own home. "I think I should have one as well. Double the happy thoughts should keep them away for as long as we need to talk."

Hermione blinked once again and sat down. "Alright, but what is it you wanted to talk about? It must be important if you came to my flat this early in the morning." Hermione performed a quick Tempest charm and corrected herself. "Okay well, while 8 o'clock is not early for most people I did plan on having a lie-in today."

"Have your tea and think happy thoughts. We can't continue until the Wrackspurts are gone." Luna set down a mug in front of Hermione and gracefully plopped down on a chair across from her. "Oh, and I suppose that making a new one for you isn't necessary while I have this one on me." She takes the Butterbeer necklace off of her own neck and drapes it over Hermione. "Now you shall be able to protect them and everything shall fall into place and the gifts won't be needed."

This sparked Hermione's interest. Finally! The first thing she said that made sense! "You know about the gifts I've gotten?"

Luna giggled. "Of course I do!" She smiled at Hermione in a slightly condescending way, as if Hermione were missing something obvious. "I am very glad that they worked and that everyone will be happy in a few days time." She stood and kissed Hermione on the cheek. "You should probably mend the bridge first though. Exploding Snabberwotches tend to be very temperamental when a potential mate rejects them." With those parting words Luna turned on her heel and disappeared with a _pop_.

A few hours later Hermione was fiddling with the necklace she was now wearing and going over Luna's words. "What in the world could she have meant?"

"Oh I'm not sure, but knowing Luna, she knows exactly what's going on and she is doing everything in her power to make sure everything turns out alright."

Hermione sighed. "Oh Neville, she knows something about the flowers and she said something was stolen, but I've checked my flat and I can't find anything missing!" The brunette tugged on a curly lock. "I don't have the foggiest idea what she could mean and you've been good at translating recently."

Neville patted her hand. "Well I think she knows about the letters you aren't getting." He scratched his head. "She said that whoever sent them is probably going to stop because you aren't answering." Hermione frowned but waited for the man to continue. "I think you should forget about the evil owl, it must not be important if whoever is sending them isn't trying harder to reach you. I would be more worried about the flowers."

Hermione was shocked. "The flowers are so sweet though. I can't imagine them being anything bad."

"I would be willing to look at them for you, but I don't trust presents without a name attacked to them." Neville stood and made his way over to the vase. "They look pretty and I see that you have all basic Muggle flowers. I would be worried if you were sent some type of magical plant that could harm you accidentally, but these all seem fine." Hermione smiled and Neville held up his hand. "Just because they aren't trying to poison you, doesn't mean you should trust them. I still don't like the idea of accepting gifts without knowing who they are from." He gave her a look. "I thought you knew better as well."

She laughed. "Neville, a broom is different than flowers. The broom could have been jinxed or hexed. You already told me that the flowers are safe."

"I know I did." He sighed. "It's just-everyone is a bit nervous still and I'm being weird." Neville half-heartedly grinned. "I'll try to keep my freak-outs at home. Hannah is better prepared to deal with them anyways."

"Neville Longbottom, don't you dare try and make light of how you feel. Of course you don't feel safe with me getting gifts, especially after the war. You are family and I get being paranoid. Sometimes flowers are just a gift from a fan, sometimes Luna is actually just barmy, and sometimes people need hugs."

Before Neville could refuse Hermione had wrapped her arms around him and they stood in her small kitchen: Hermione forcing as much love into her hug as possible and Neville, smiling before he returned the favor.

The mood was broken when a house-elf _popped_ into the room. "Master says that Dipsy is to make sure that Missy Hermione gets the letter. Dipsy has to make Missy take the letter."

Hermione and Neville jump apart. "Who sent you Dipsy?" Hermione asked with a sharper tone than she intended.

Dipsy handed the latter to Hermione. "Master says that Dipsy is to leave once Missy opens the letter. Dipsy isn't to stay while she reads it because she needs to read it in privacy."

Hermione tried again. "Dipsy, who is your Master? Who gave you this letter? Is it the owner of the eagle owl?"

Dipsy made a face. "The big bird is mean to everyone, but Master. The bird loves to get scratches from Master, and the bird likes to **scratch** Dipsy. Dipsy no likes Master's bird."

Neville stood tall in front of the elf and spoke in a commanding tone. "Dipsy, tell which Ancient and Noble House you serve under."

The small elf just rolled his eyes. "Dipsy does not serve the House of Longbottom so Dipsy does not have to answer. Dipsy must go once Missy has looked at her letter **in privacy**." With those last two words Dipsy gave Neville a look filled with such bossiness that he felt 7 again and like his elves were hurrying him out of the kitchen for being naughty.

"I think I shall leave you with your little elf by yourself then. Good day Hermione." Neville said before he left though the Floo.


	5. The Exchange

_Hey y'all! I'm back and rolling! Our wonder couple (aka: wonder if their asses are gonna ever get together) is getting closer and closer to PERFECTION (aka: dating and being in lurv) so buckle up and adore Dipsy, because I sure did when I wrote him :3_

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Hermione stood alone in her flat holding with her name written on the outside in neat penmanship. She tilted in all around but saw no obvious issues. After placing the letter down on the table, Hermione tested it for hexes, jinxes, and curses and came up empty. "Well here goes nothing."

* * *

"Dipsy delivered the letter just as Master asked. Dipsy handed Missy the letter, yes Dipsy did." The elf said as he bowed low, a wide grin sported on his face.

"How did she look? Did she tell you why she hadn't opened any of my letters from before?!"

"No Master, but Young Mister Longbottom tries to force Dipsy to tell him who Dipsy serves. Dipsy didn't say, just like Master says so." The elf nodded his bobble head quickly.

"WHAT WAS LONGBOTTOM DOING THERE DIPSY?!"

Dipsy cowered away from the foot half raised as if to kick the elf. "Dipsy popped in and saw Young Mister Longbottom hugging Missy. Dipsy is a bad elf for seeing this! Dipsy punishes himself now." Dipsy cried as he ran himself head-first into a wall.

"DIPSY! Dipsy. You don't need to do that. It's good you told me this. I can now shift my plans accordingly."

* * *

Hermione quickly scanned through the letter and grew more and more surprised as she read on. Her jaw dropped when she saw the name at the bottom. Draco Malfoy was asking her out on a date. A date with her best friend's childhood nemesis. A date with a Death Eater. A date with a very handsome man. A date with someone who went out of his way to ask her. Her first date in a long time, and **damn-it** she was not skipping out just because it would upset some people.

* * *

Dipsy cocked his head to the side, as if listening for something before he smiled. "Dipsy will be back in a moment Master. Missy calls."

Hermione wrote a quick note stating that she would go out with him and folded the parchment in half. "Dipsy?" She called tentatively.

Nothing happened for a moment and just as Hermione was about to sigh in defeat, a _pop_ announced the arrival of the house-elf. "Missy called for Dipsy?"

"Yes Dipsy, I have a letter for your Master. Can you give this to Draco for me?"

The elf sniffed lightly. "Dipsy is not an owl, but Dipsy will help Missy because Master likes Missy a bunch." The elf winked before he left with another _pop_.

Hermione giggled. "He likes me a bunch does he?"

* * *

Draco paced the length of his private study as he held Hermione's answer in his hand. Dare he open it and look into the face of her laughing rejection? What if she said yes and he just doesn't open it, causing him to miss out on the date he had been dreaming of? The fear of missing their date (that she probably hadn't agreed to) forced his hand into opening the parchment. The answer was short and simple and written in her loopy scrawl. _**See you tomorrow then. –Hermione**_ He almost felt slighted at the shortness, but was too pleased by the agreement to care too much.

He, Draco Malfoy, was going on a date with Hermione Granger tomorrow evening. Now he just had to plan the perfect date.


	6. Telling

_[EDIT: Dang it! This is what I get for updating my fic in the wee hours of the morning, I upload the wrong document. Well here is the correct chapter!]_

 _Hello readers! This is a filler chapter because I wanted to bring Neville back because he is just so much fun._

 _Unrelated Side Note: Googling Matthew Lewis is always a fabulous idea.  
_

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Hermione debated if she should tell her friends about the date she had planned for tomorrow. She really didn't want to risk it ending up in the paper and everyone finding out that way, but she didn't want to deal with everyone freaking out over something that might not even work out in the end. Hermione starts out small and goes to Floo Neville since he was probably wondering what had happened after he left anyways. "Hey Nev?" Hermione called as she stuck her head in the Floo. "The scary house elf is gone if you want to come back over."

She snickered when Neville appeared and pulled a face. "Get out of my fireplace and make room then. And for the record, I wasn't scared. I left because he wasn't going to stop bothering me until I did."

Hermione stood up and backed away from her fireplace to make room for her large friend. "So Hermione, what was did the little elf want?" Neville asked as he brushed soot off of his robes.

Hermione waved her wand with a quick _scourgify_ to clean Neville off before she answered. "Well his master is Draco and hewantedtoaskmeoutonadate." Hermione said in a rush, her cheeks pink.

"Draco! What did he want?"

"He wanted to askmeoutonadate." Hermione trailed off. Goodness! If it was this hard to tell **Neville** then she would never be able to tell Harry and Ron!

"He wanted to what?"

"Date. He wanted to ask me out on a date." Hermione said with a grimace. Maybe finding out in the _Profit_ isn't such a bad idea after all?

Neville nodded slowly. "Oh-kaaaay, so have you answered yet?"

Hermione nodded. "Yes."

"And what did you say?" Neville asked with his nose all scrunched up.

Hermione squared her shoulders. "I told him yes. He seemed perfectly genuine in his letter and the last time I spoke to him he was a gentleman."

"Can I see the letter Hermione?" Hermione went into the kitchen and retrieved the letter from its place on the table. She held it out to Neville who levitated it with his wand.

Hermione stood with her hands on her hips. "Neville Frank Longbottom are you going to test my mail for hexes! Do you not think that I did that before I opened it myself?" Hermione harrumphed. "I didn't realize that you thought so little of me."

Neville shook his head. "Not at all Hermione, I'm just testing the parchment for some sort of contact transmittable potion or something like that. Something that most people wouldn't think to check for.

"Well I can promise that I'm not under a love spell." Neville just shot her a long suffering look. "Yes, yes I know. That's exactly what someone under a love spell would say. Just do your test and see for yourself." Hermione stood quietly for a moment. "And could you maybe teach it to me?"

Neville smiled and set the paper down. "Alright. Now the spell is _Venenum Revelare_." He tapped the paper with his wand and the tip glowed green. "Okay so, green means that everything's fine, yellow means it's a fadded or non-working potion, and red means a dangerous one."

Hermione nodded. "So are you secure in the knowlege that I'm not under an enchantment of any kind?"

Nevile blushed. "Yeah, I just had to be sure because it's-"

"Malfoy. I know." Hermione grinned. "But I think I should give him a chance and see where this goes. It could be good for him to have someone give him a chance, I don't think he gets many of those."

Neville groaned. "Hermione love, please don't turn Malgoy ito another S.P.E.W. I don't think it would end well."

"Well thanks for that Neville, you had a S.P.E.W. button so you can't complain about it too much Mister."

"Well I was scared of you, even back then. Didn't want to risk your wrath by turning you down. I was a smart boy." Neville laughed.

Hermione playfully smacked Neville on the arm. "Well thanks for that. The only other person in S.P.E.W. and it was because he was scared of me. Great." She laughed.

Neville chuckled. "Not that I don't love this, but how come you told me before you told Harry and Ron?"

Hermione bit her lip. "How do you know I didn't tell them first?"

"Because it hasn't been long enough for you to have read and responded to the letter AND for Ron to have blown up AND calmed down about it."

"Well I'm not looking forward to telling them, Ron especially. It's going to be bad enough that they are going to think I'm barmy, I don't need someone to yell at me."

"If he finds out from the _Profit_ then he **will** blow a fuse, but if you tell him you get to explain." Neville gave Hermione a long hug. "Just do it quick, like downing a nasty potion. I've got to get home to Hannah, but think about what I said."

Hermione followed Neville to the Floo and took a deep breath as he prepared to call Grimauld Place. "Just like ripping off a plaster." She murmered to herself as she stuck her head in the fireplace. "Harry? Ron! I need to speak to you both!"

* * *

 _So the next chapter is going to be her telling the boys and the chapter after that is going to be the date. I want them to be separate because I say so, so you guys have to wait a bit longer before they are officially official._


	7. Telling Part 2

_I'm baaaaaaaack! Sorry for the month long absence but I was focusing on my other WIP. I will hopefully be better about updates for the next little bit. No promises though, now without further adieu I give you: Harry and Ron find out!  
_

* * *

Harry heard Hermione yell and rushed down the stairs. He smiled when he saw her in the fire. "Well hello 'Mione. What's up?

Hermione smiled weakly. "I wanted to talk to you and Ron tonight if it's not too much trouble. And Ginny if she's home."

"Well Ron is at the Leaky with George and Ginny is just finishing getting ready for our date tonight. I really only have a second."

"I'm sorry about this but I really need to tell you something and I really only have tonight." Harry frowned. "Can I come through? I'll try and make it quick."

"Of course, I'll always make time for you."

After stepping through Hermione took a deep breath and whispered "like downing a nasty potion" before she blurted. "I'm going on a date with Draco tomorrow." There was silence and Hermione cracked open one eye to see Harry staring at her with a shocked look on her face. "

"I don't think I heard you correctly... I couldn't have because you just said that you were going on a date with Draco Malfoy."

"You heard correctly. I'm not cursed, hexed, or under any sort of potion. Draco had been attempting to ask me out for a few days, but his mean owl wouldn't let me take the letters off of his foot so I wasn't getting them. He finally sent me a letter through his house elf, who scared poor Neville half to death, and I agreed to go. He went through so much trouble and I figured it couldn't hurt to go."

Harry stood still for another moment longer before he hugged Hermione. "You have such a big heart and I just hope that Malfoy is nice to you or I'm gonna hex him."

Hermione laughed. "You can have what's left of him if he's not nice."

Just then Ginny shouted as she walked down the steps. "Is whoever called done? We need to leave now or we'll be late! Oh hello Hermione. I would love to chat but it's time for us to go on our date and I don't want to miss our reservation."

Hermione smiled at her friend. "I understand, I was just done anyways. See you later Harry."

"I'll meet you at your place tomorrow morning to talk about it." They embraced one last time before Hermione went back through the floo and to the Leaky Cauldron.

Her eyes scanned the crowded pub before they landed on a familiar bright read head. "Now it's time to tell Ron." He looked in her general direction and she waved to catch his attention. "Hey Ron, hey George, mind if I sit down with you?"

"Course not Hermione. We always have room for you, isn't that right Ickle Ronnikins?"

Ron huffed at the nickname but agreed with his brother. "So what's up 'Mione?"

Hermione shot a look around the building. "Please try to not freak out." Ron rolled his eyes but Hermione pressed. "We are in public and I would really like for this not to become public until it has to." George looked uncharacteristically serious when he nodded and Ron just looked confused, but he agreed as well. "Tomorrow I am going on a date." George snorts. "Draco Malfoy has asked me out and I agreed. Ronyoupromisedtonotmakeabigdealoutofthis!" Hermione rushed when she saw Ron about to yell. He shut his mouth and turned a shade of purple that clashed with his hair.

George just looked at Hermione hard for a minute before he nodded once and stood. "I think I'll go and give you guys a second to talk. Lee might like to be let off early for once." Hermione nodded to George in thanks as he strolled off.

"Look Ron I know this isn't exactly something I thought I would ever have to tell you but he tried to hard to ask me out and no one has ever done something like that for me so I decided to give him a chance."

Ron's face faded from purple to red and back to white. His shouting was whispered, but he thankfully didn't draw his wand, probably because the person he wanted to hex wasn't there. " _MALFOY?! You're dating the ferret? Have you forgotten how much of a git the slimy Snake is? He calls you the M-word all the time!_ "

"Now Ronald, Draco has been nothing but nice since I've seen him after the war. I think he's changed, that or he's trying to. I figured that it can't hurt anything to go with him and I figured I would tell you now rather than you find out tomorrow in the paper."

Ron frowned but responded in a better tone. "As long as you don't actually like the tosser I guess I can be fine with it. I still don't trust him."

"Ronald Weasley you don't have to like the man I decide to date. We aren't even dating, we are going on **one** date, not that it's even any of your business who I date or why." Hermione stood up and smiled at Ron. "Everything will be fine Ron. If he steps I toe out of line I'll give you a go at his pieces after me and Harry get a round."

She left and didn't hear Ron mumbling under his breath. "Stupid ferret."

* * *

 _HOLY MOTHER OF SPACE BALLS! i HAVE 64 FOLLOWERS! I feel considerably worse about leaving you all to fend for yourselves now. Please forgive me.  
_

 _Remember that reviews give me life and I give you my word that I will update better, even when I'm on vacation next week._


	8. The Date

_The French in this chapter has been edited on Jan 23, 2018 by Snowanchester  
_

* * *

Hermione was nervous about her date with Draco; maybe nervous was the wrong word. Hermione felt more worried. She trusted that she wouldn't be stood up or something equally awful because Draco worked so hard to ask her out, but she was not looking forward to the media backlash afterwards. She sighed and messed with her hair for the hundredth time since she got ready. "Everything will be fine. You may have a crappy time or you could have a wonderful time. Let's just deal with the media and everyone's opinions tomorrow."

Just then there was a knock on her door. Hermione looked at herself one last time in the mirror before she answered the door. Draco was standing on the other side with a confident smile on his face. "Hello Hermione, are you ready?"

She smiled back. "Yeah let me just grab my bag." She grabbed her little beaded bag from its spot by the door before she joined Draco outside and locked and warded her flat. Draco held out his arm and Hermione held out his arm and braced to be side-alonged. The world spun and she was squeezed through a tube but when they settled with a small 'pop' she steadied herself with minimal help from her date. "Where are we?" She asked as she looked around.

It was dark and she could see a building but it was without any sort of sign that would explain what was inside. "We are at a favorite restaurant of mine. Very private so we shouldn't be bombarded by anyone while we dine." Hermione smiled at the thoughtfulness and followed Draco into the building.

"Hello Mr. Malfoy your table is right over here." They were led to a small booth in the back of the restaurant. "Someone shall be with you shortly." Hermione picked up her menu and blinked. The whole thing was in French and she couldn't speak or read a word of it.

She looked up mild panic only to see him smiling innocently at her. "Is there a problem Hermione?"

She glared at him. "Did you pick here just because you knew I wouldn't be able to speak French?"

He laughed and Hermione was shocked by how it changed his face. "I picked here because I figured you wouldn't want to have the press recording our date and I happen to love French food."

"Your logic is sound, but I don't like not knowing what I'm going to be eating."

"I promise that I shall order you something delicious and if you would like I can teach you some French."

Hermione smiled and nodded. Just then the waiter walked up. "Bonjour mon nom est Leo et je serai votre serveur , puis-je prendre votre commande?"1

"Nous prendrons le coq-au-vin, s'il vous plaît."2 Draco said with a causal air as he handed the menus to the waiter. He nodded and walked off, leaving the pair alone again.

Hermione looked at Draco suspiciously. "What exactly did you order for me?"

"I ordered us each a coq au vin, which is chicken in wine, lardoons, mushrooms, and garlic. It's one of my favorite dishes they serve here."

* * *

 _Here's the translations of the French in the chapter_

 _1:_ _[Hello my name is Leo and I shall be your server, may I take you order?]_

 _2:_ _[We will have the coq au vin please.]_

 _Thanks again to Snowanchester for helping me out since apparently Google Translate butchered everything :3_


	9. The Date Part 2

_The French in this chapter was edited on Jan 23, 2018 by Snowanchester_

 _[The bold quotes are taken directly from chapter three]_

* * *

Hermione nodded. "That sounds delicious." Draco nodded. They sat in awkward silence until the food arrived. Draco stealthily peered at Hermione until she asked, mildly annoyed. "What?"

He took a deep breath before he spoke. "I was just wondering if you really meant what you said the other day."

Hermione blinked. "I'm sorry?"

"What you said to Potter." She thought for a moment before she flashed back to when she yelled at Harry about the Ministry.

 **"Just because it is swayed into your favor does not mean that the Ministry isn't corrupt anymore! People are still being discriminated against and this time it's the purebloods that are getting the short end of the stick!" "They don't deserve discrimination because they have a healthy sense of self-preservation."**

Hermione blushed. "You heard that?"

Draco laughed. "I'm sure the whole of London heard you." He looked at Hermione with a vaguely worried look in his eye. "In all honesty though, did you really mean all of that?"

"Of course, I think it's ridiculous what the Ministry is doing to people like you. Your father was a Death Eater." Draco winced. "You had no choice in the matter. We were all children and the fact that a single on of us, on either side, died and that a single one of us are being punished drives me crazy."

"Good." Draco grinned before he dug into his food with more vigor. "I'm glad."

Hermione smiled wryly as she took the first bite of her coq au vin. Her eyes rolled back. " **Merlin** this is amazing. I can see why it's your favorite."

"Well I wouldn't order you crappy food, not that you can find bad food on this menu." Draco grinned as he speared a piece of chicken. "Though, ordering you my favorite dish might have been me trying to guarantee that you love it so you don't complain when we come back next time."

Hermione gave Draco a saucy look. "Already planning a next time?"

"Should I not be?"

"No you should definitely be planning a next time."

Draco grinned into his chicken as the conversation puttered off into a comfortable silence. Once they had both finished their food, the waiter materialized. "Puis-je prendre vos assiettes?"1

"Oui, je vous remercie Léo. Ce sera tout, facturez le tout à mon coffre-fort."2 Draco said with a wave of his hand.

The waiter picked up the plates and raised his eye brow at the blond. "Pas de dessert ce soir?"3

"Je ne peux rien acheter ici."4 The two laughed as Hermione sat there uncomprehending, but growing peeved.

"Can we please switch over to English or do I need to leave you boys to your conversation?"

Draco turned to his date. "I'm sorry Hermione, please forgive me. I just forget that you are not also fluent. I'll be sure our next date is a French lesson."

"I thought it was going to be us coming back here?" The witch asked with a grin.

"Well then I guess I have two dates set up with you." Hermione smiled and Draco stood up, taking her arm and leading her out of the restaurant.

"I'm glad I let you take me out. I had fun." Draco wrapped her hand in his. "Much more fun than I thought I was going to have." They apparated back to her flat.

"I had a lot of fun to. I'm glad you took me out." Hermione leaned in to give Draco a quick peck on the cheek, but he turned his head to her lips fell on his.

"Goodnight Hermione." He said before he left. Hermione had a silly smile on her face as she took down the wards and let herself into her flat where a familiar owl was waiting for her.

"Hello little guy. What has Luna sent to me today?" Hermione opens the box to find a lilac, a bundle of hydrangeas, and a small yellow flower* sitting inside. "Very pretty. Please stay and let me write a note to thank her." The small owl hooted and flew over to grab a treat from the bowl, looking around almost warily for Crookshanks.

 _Dear Luna,_

 _Thank you so much for the flowers. My favorite is the bundle of hydrangeas._

 _Hermione_

She tied the note to the little owl's leg and placed the flowers in the same vase as the others. The first few were looking a little droopy so she redid the preservation charm on them and went to bed.

* * *

 _*The yellow flower is a Black-eyed Susan_

 _Translations of the French in the chapter_

 _1:_ _[May I take your plates?]_

 _2:_ _[Yes, thank you Leo. That will be all, just charge dinner to my vault.]_

 _3:_ _[No dessert tonight?]_

 _4:_ _[Nothing I can buy here.]_

 _Thanks again to Snowanchester for doing a much better job than Google Translate did at translating for me :3_


	10. Luna

_Hey hey hey! It's my birthday and my present to ya'll is an update! (not how present giving works but it's okay)  
_

 _Happy Birthday To Me! 25 Favorites and 87 Followers! Thank ya'll so much ;3 I love every one of you to bits!_

 _So without further adieu, I give you: After the Date!_

* * *

The first thing Hermione did when she woke up was owl her best friend. "Now don't leave before you get a response. Peck him to bits if you need to." She smiled and fixed herself a pot of tea as the owl flew off. A few minutes later a grumpy wizard came through her floo.

"Hermione I almost died! The owl tried to peck my eyes out when it thought I took too long to let it in the house! Can you stop giving it a kill order? It's a horrible way to wake up." Harry said as he yawned and wiped soot from his pajamas.

"Well I just figured that you would want to hear about the date I had last night."

Harry sighed. "Can't I just read about it in the _Prophet_ like everybody else? You can correct some facts and that way I get to sleep in." He plopped down in the seat next to Hermione and grumpily grabbed the cup that she was drinking out of.

Looking at her best friend drink heavily from her cup, Hermione sighed and summoned another cup from a cabinet to make herself a new one. "Well Draco took me to this very private place in what looked like the middle of nowhere so the whole date was completely media free." She smiled to herself. "He even talked about having a few more dates. I really l-had a great time Harry."

"That sounds really nice and I'm glad you had fun, but I worry that something bad might happen." Harry smiled apologetically. "I'm just looking out for you 'Mione."

"I know you are and I really appreciate that, but after last night I just don't think that you need to worry about anything. He was a perfect gentleman and he went somewhere he knew we would be safe from the press. He even said he would be willing to teach me French so the next time he takes me there I won't be so lost."

Harry saw the sparkle in his friend's eye and set down his cup. "I'm really happy for you Hermione." He wrapped his arms around her in a hug. "I hope everything works out for you in the end. Merlin knows that we are all overdue for something really good to happen."

As Hermione opened her mouth to reply there was a _pop_ and then a light knocking on the door. "One moment please! I wonder who that could be. I only owled you…" She walked over and opened the door only to have Luna breeze past her.

"Hello Hermione. Thank you for the lovely note last night. Hello Harry. It's been a while." She sat down in Hermione's chair and took a dainty sip from Hermione's cup. Harry smiled into his own stolen drink as Hermione huffed.

"I guess it's steal from Hermione day, that's fine." She mumbled to herself as she fixed another drink. "So Luna, not that I'm glad you stopped by. Why did you so early in the morning?"

"Oh I just HAD to talk to you about your favorite flowers! It just makes my heart sing and the Flibberty-Niggets do loops above the beehives." Harry blinked.

"Parvati is pleased with your choice and so am I." Luna grinned whimsically and scratched Crookshanks, who was lounging in her lap.

"Luna what does an old Housemate have to do with my favorite flower? Did she help you figure out what to send to me?" Hermione and Harry exchanged a look of confusion as Luna happily sipped her tea.

The former-Ravenclaw shook her head. "I've never spoken to my former-Housemates twin since we've left the castle."

"I'm sorry? Luna I don't understand."

A look of sadness crossed over the blonde's face. "Oh. I see. Well I guess that the Sudenitsa picked the hydrangea for you." She perked up. "Well I guess I must be going then. Hopefully you will understand the next time I see you, Hermione." She gave Hermione and Harry each a hug and a kiss on Crookshank's squished face. Luna winked at the pair before she swished out the door and left with a _pop_.

"Do you have any idea what just happened?"

"Not a one."

* * *

"I swear Ron it was weird. Even for Luna. She was babbling about Flippy-Nuggets and Parvati and flowers. I didn't understand a word." Harry sat across from Ron in a muggle pub in the middle of London. The room was dim and loud and one Notice-Me-Not kept everyone away.

"What do you expect from Loony? Honestly Harry the bint is mental! I know that she's smart in her own way and helped us during the war." Ron waved his hand dismissively. "But you can't deny that she's always been one Knut away from a Galleon."

"Yeah but I feel like she meant something important. Most of the time she doesn't look sad when we don't get her little references, but this time she looked **sad** that Hermione didn't get it. I think Luna is trying to tell us something, but being Luna she won't put it in English." Ron looked at his bespectacled friend warily. That look in his eye meant that they were going to do something stupid. "Ron, I am going to translate Luna Lovegood."


	11. The Plan, The Meeting, and The Research

_Just checking in! I really should be in bed. I have a busy day today and I start school on Monday, but I am here because I love ya'll and I missed writing._

* * *

Ron blinked. "You're going to do what? That's impossible! She only makes sense to herself and I'm not 100 percent sure that **she** even has logic to follow."

Harry sighed. "I know it's going to be hard but I think I can do it."

"Why do you need to understand her anyways? She's just Loony Lovegood."

"It's important Ron I just know it. Luna knows things and if I could understand her then I could know things too! Just imagine being able to know what's happening way before it even happens! Have you ever seen her shocked about anything?" Ron shook his head in the negative. "She has to be a Seer! If we found the way to decode Luna then we would have unlimited information! We would be all powerful!"

Ron rolled his eyes. "Don't be dramatic. While Loony isn't phased by anything it doesn't mean that she's a Seer. That would be ridiculous."

"Fine. Let's just watch her at the next DA meeting."

"Fine."

* * *

"Hello everyone, the Flibberty-Niggets are positively prancing around." Luna said dreamily as she sat next to Neville. "They're attracted to love you know."

Neville nodded with a smile while Harry leaned close to Ron. "That's the creature that Luna said was happy Hermione went on a date with Malfoy."

Ron snorted. "So you think that 'Mione and Ferret Face are in-love? You might be crazier than Loony!"

Padma was talking to Seamus, but was interrupted by Harry. "Hey Padma, where's your sister tonight?" Harry asked.

Padma blinked and looked a little sheepish. "She's at home. She got some news and didn't want to leave the house." There was a flurry of people asking what happened and Padma just turned pinker the more people asked. "She's fine. She'll just be …indisposed… for a few months."

Luna dreamily sighed. "Taking after her namesake? Give her my congratulations." The rest of the table just shrugged and turned back to their earlier conversations. Luna turned to Neville. "Since Parvati doesn't need any orange blossoms I wonder if you and Hannah want any. I've been sending flowers as of late." She narrowed her eyes slightly but smiled bright.

Neville went bright red and shook his head no. "We're fine Luna. Thank you though."

Harry leaned into Ron again. "Parvati is named after someone? We need to find out who."

Ron groaned. "I bloody hate research. Why can't we get Hermione to do it? She lives for this kind of thing."

"Because you egg, we're trying to figure this out **for** Hermione."

"Oh right. Well it still sucks."

* * *

"Mate, if I have to look through another book I may scream." Ron tossed aside what seemed like the hundredth useless book that evening.

"I know this is hard, but I feel like we're so close! We got so many leads at the last DA meeting." Just then there was a tapping on the window. Harry stood up and saw an unfamiliar little owl with a small box in its talons waiting on the ledge.

He opened the window and it dropped off its prize before flying away with a noise that sounded as close to a mischievous giggle that an owl can make. "I don't like that owl Harry… It sounded bloody evil."

"Yes, but it also brought a package- **what**? It's addressed to both of us!" Ron stood and walked closer to Harry.

"Well go on then. Open it."

Harry performed a few hex/jinx/curse revealing spells and found nothing on the box so he pried it open. "It's full of… flowers? I don't get it." He picked up the box and turned it every which way, causing the flowers falling out of the box.

"I don't know much about flowers so I guess we have to do more research then." Ron said with an exasperated sigh.

"Okay, so all of the flowers sent are Muggle and I think I've figured out what they are. That big, puffy, purple one is a Hydrangea; the small, pink, fluffy ones are Chrysanthemums; the small, purple, pointy ones are Cornflowers; and the yellow ones that actually look like a flower are Black-eyed Susans." Ron let his head fall onto the table with a bang. "I think I hate flowers. Did you know that flowers can mean something? So it's not enough for a bloke to send a girl flowers, he has to think about if he's offending her with what his flowers say! Fucking ridiculous if you ask me. I don't want some witch to think I'm secretly in-love with her if I bring her an Acacia flower on the first date. Not that I would because it's a stupid looking flower, but whatever."

Harry snorted. "I don't think that most people know that flowers can mean something." His head whipped around to look at his best friend. **What do the flowers that we got sent mean**?!"

"Depends on where you look. It says here that it means sharing, but here it says that it means love. And that's just the Chrysanthemum."

Harry's head hit the desk. "We're screwed."


	12. The Job Offer

_Hello! Sorry that took ages, I could've sworn I just updated a few days ago. Oh well, y'all get a long chapter as an apology for waiting!_

* * *

Luna flew back into the window, shifting back to her human form. She giggled to herself and began puttering around her greenhouse. "Do you think I should take pity on them Puff?" She asked the large ball of fur lounging on a stool. Puff meowed lazily before he began to groom himself. "You're right, if they don't struggle a little bit more then they won't appreciate it when I give them all the answers." She hummed an old wizarding nursery rhyme to herself as she tended to her red and white roses.

* * *

Hermione was humming a muggle nursery rhyme to Crookshanks as she got dressed for the day. "I think I'm going to do it Crooks. I need, well I don't **need** a job, but I would like one and if I work at the Ministry then I get to be around Harry and Ron and that would be nice." She frowned at she held up the third variation of the same outfit. With a huff she threw it on and walked to the floo. "When I come home Crooksy I'm going to be a Ministry Worker just like Harry and Ron. It's going to be very exciting. I hope."

After dusting herself off, Hermione went up to Kingsley's office. "Minister Shacklebolt is busy right now. He'll see you in a moment dear." Hermione sat down in a plastic chair and waited for Kingsley to be ready to see her. After a minute of waiting she could hear raised voices and the door was flung open.

An irate Draco Malfoy stormed out of the office screaming as he stomped to the elevator, waving his arms. " **This is ridiculous! You'll be hearing from my lawyers! I won't stand for it! This is discrimination!** "

Hermione blinked a few times and sat in shock as she watched Draco practically run out. She turned to see Kingsley standing by his door rubbing the bridge of his nose and sighing. "I'm sorry you had to see that Hermione. He shows up every once in a while shaking things up and pointing fingers but he's all hot air." He shook his head and grinned ruefully. "Have you finally decided to take me up on my offer?"

Kingsley ushered her inside his office and motioned for her to take a seat. "I am truly sorry you had to see that childish outburst. Some people just think that they deserve something just because it was guaranteed to their great-grandparents. I can't stand it." He sighed. "But enough about that, we're here to talk about you taking me up on my offer of a job. Would you like to work with Creature Rights like you wanted as a child or would you like to work with the Auror Office to be closer to Harry and Ron?"

Hermione frowned, her brow crinkling in confusion. "I get to pick where I want to go? I thought you had an opening and offered me a space." She smoothed out her expression. "I didn't realize my offer was so… open."

Kingsley laughed. "Well Hermione I'm willing to open up a whole new department for you if you want it. After everything that happened you deserve to get exactly what you want." He winked. "It also helps to know the Minister. I can do anything as long as I have the backing of the Wizengamot and they aren't going to deny you anything at this point."

Hermione felt herself grow both weary and angry as she listened to Kingsley. She put her brightest smile on and spoke to the Minister in a sugary sweet voice. "Well Kings I didn't realize I had so much room to be creative. I'll have to owl you my answer. You understand that I need some time to think about how exactly I'm going to help the Wizarding World."

"Oh Hermione, knowing you I'm sure you already have a plan ready but I'll give you as much time as you need to think." He stood and they shook hands. "I'm looking forward to seeing what you want to do. Have a good rest of your day."

When Hermione made it to the elevator she let out a scream. " **I can't believe this!** This is exactly what I wanted to avoid and it's happening!" She smoothed her skirt and strode to Harry's office. "I need to speak to Head Auror Potter please." She said with barely contained rage.

The secretary didn't even look up from the latest issue of _Witch Weakly_. "Mr. Potter is busy right now and said he wasn't to be disturbed. Leave your name and reason for business and I'll be sure that he gets back to you within the week."

"Well I don't have a bloody week. Tell him that **Hermione Granger** is here and that if he doesn't get to me very soon we will have a problem." With those parting words Hermione turned on her heel and left the stupid witch scrambling to Harry's door. " **RONALD BILLUS WEASLEY!** " Hermione roared as she approached his desk. " **I need a word with you. Now.** " Ron went white, but stood up and followed her into a conference room that was then drowned in silencing charms.

"I didn't even want to but Harry said we should! It was all his idea!" He flinched when her hand jerked towards her wand. "Don't hex me! I don't even think that Loony is a Seer, but Harry's adamant."

Hermione sighed. "That wasn't what I wanted to talk to you about Ronald, but thank you for that little tidbit that we shall get back to in a moment." He groaned. "What I want to know is if you were aware what my offered position at the Ministry was going to be?"

He gulped. "Something in Rights?" His eyes flickered over to the wand in her hand.

Just then Harry burst into the room. "Hermione! What's the emergency? Diane wasn't able to tell me what happened, she was so frazzled."

"Well Harry, we were just wondering what my position in the Ministry was going to be. You see I had a meeting with Kings today and it was. Very. Enlightening."

Harry went white. "Oh."

"Yes 'oh' indeed. I can assume that you were aware that my job was open ended as long as I signed up and was a happy little worker bee." Hermione's hair began to spark. "Harry this is the exact thing I didn't want! You **promised** me that they wanted me for me and not so they can say that the Ministry roped the whole Golden Trio together for shits and giggles."

Harry held up his hands in an attempt to calm to irate witch. "It's okay Hermione, it's not like that. Kings just wants you to be happy. You always dreamed of taking the Wizarding World by storm and we just want to help." Hermione roared and turned with a sharp _crack_.

Destination, Determination, and Deliberation. Bad things happen to witches and wizards who don't pay attention.

* * *

 _Luna needed a familiar and since she doesn't have one I decided to use the name of the cat owned by Evanna Lynch, who plays Luna. Also, sorry not sorry about the ending ;3  
_


	13. After She Left

_I would like to thank all of my Guest Reviewers, I can't thank you personally because you didn't log in but I love you none the less._

 _PSA time: if you think you know something please PM me and don't review because figuring things out is half the fun and we don't want someone to find that and not want to._

 _Now you have panicked enough and finally get to know what fate has befallen our Heroine after she stormed away from the other half of the Golden Trio._

* * *

Draco had assumed that today would be fairly normal when Dipsy popped into his office. "Oh Master Draco Dipsy has seen a _baaad_ thing and Dipsy is sorry to bother you but Dipsy need Master to see Missy right away. It's an emergency."

"Dipsy what happened? Who do I need to see?" Draco put his quill down and attempted to prepare himself for whatever problem the elf assumed was an emergency.

Dipsy pulled on his floppy ears. " **MISSY!** Dipsy found Missy outside of the wards and she's in pieces! Master needs to go and help her!"

Draco stood up so fast that his chair tipped over. "Someone tried to cross the wards?" At the elf's frantic nod Draco turned and apparated to the Manor's front gates. The sight before him turned his stomach. A woman was collapsed facedown onto the ground outside of the gates. Draco compressed a portion of her robes to the bloody section of her leg where she had splinched herself before picking her up and carrying her into his house.

After he placed her onto a couch in a room off the front hall Draco pulls the woman's skirt down enough to see the wound more clearly. There is a large chunk missing from her thigh. The elf howls about 'poor miss' as he tugged on his ears until Draco called for Dipsy to bring him some Essence of Dittany. He disapparated away while Draco kept pressure on her leg in an attempt to stop the bleeding. Dipsy _popped_ back into the room with a small bottle and Draco snatched it from Dipsy's hand and poured a few drops onto the weeping wound.

Green smoke flashed upwards from the injury and Draco was pleased to see a pinkish patch of skin on her thigh where there had been previously a missing chunk of skin. He finally looked up to the woman's face and gave a start. " _ **Hermione?**_ "

* * *

Hermione felt like someone had hit her with a truck. Her body hurt and her mouth felt like cotton. She wasn't sure exactly where she was or what she had been doing but she did know that she was lying awkwardly. She tried to shift her body and hissed in pain; her leg burned like lava and she unconsciously gripped her naked thigh. Her eyes popped open. _Naked_ thigh? Hermione distinctly remembered getting dressed before she left to see Kingsley… **Kingsley**. Hermione bolted upright, ignoring the pain. Her eyes quickly roamed the room before they settled onto a familiar crying house-elf in the corner. "Dipsy?" With the elf here she was sure to spot, "Draco?"

Draco made soothing motions with his hands. "Just stay calm, Dipsy found you outside and went to get me. I applied Essence of Dittany to a spot on your leg to stop the bleeding."

With those words Hermione remembered the reason she was even sitting up so she spoke up. "Draco, why is my skirt down?"

He turned a light shade of pink. "Well I had to put the Dittany on your leg and the skirt was in the way. I was just trying to help I swear. I didn't even know who it was right away."

Hermione half-grinned. "So am I supposed to feel better knowing that you thought you were undressing a woman that you don't know?" Draco sputtered for a moment before Hermione burst into laughter. "It's alright, I'm glad you stopped me from bleeding out, even if you thought I was a random woman at first."

* * *

Harry and Ron stared that the place that there best friend had Disapparated from in horror. They looked at each other and a single thought passed through them "Had they lost Hermione forever this time?"

Ron stood with his mouth hanging open for a moment longer before he hesitantly asked. "Why is she so upset? It wasn't because we're onto Loony, she didn't have a clue about that."

Harry glared at Ron. "You told her we were trying to de-code the Seer! That was supposed to be a secret! Why'd you go and do that Ron!"

Ron held his hands up in surrender. "She was yelling at me and that's the only thing I could thing of that we'd done wrong! I didn't know she was mad about something completely different!"

Harry ran his hand through his hair, making it stick up even more. "Well I guess we should give her some time to calm down before we go to her flat and apologize." Harry started to walk out of the room and paused at the door. "Don't tell anyone about why Hermione was here or why she looked so upset. Just meet me outside the Ministry at five and we'll go see her together."

Ron stood alone in the conference room scratching his head. "But I **don't** know why she was upset."


	14. Ron Finds Out

_Sorry that it's been a while, most of this chapter fought me. Though the last bit just flowed really smoothly and I love how it turned out. I hope ya'll enjoy this next little bit much more than I did writing it._

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Ron slowly walked out of the room with a frown. "I'm so confused. I think I need to go find Hermione." He went back over to his desk and attempted to organize everything as best as he can. After he had turned his desk from chaos to organized chaos he left the Ministry and he Flooed to Hermione's flat. He brushed soot off his robes and called out Hermione's name. There was no response. He called her name once again. Ron heard a sound coming from her bedroom and he pulled out his wand before walking over and pushing open the door. "Hermione?" He said as he held his wand help casually at his side, but prepared to pull it on someone if something was amiss.

Crookshanks was lounging on Hermione's bed. He looked at Ron with contempt as if to say "What are _you_ doing in _my_ Hermione's house?"

Ron sighed and shut the door again. He went on a tour throughout the house, checking every room for his friend. When he ended back up in the living room he had proof of what he had already assumed, Hermione was not home. "Well now how the bloody hell am I supposed to find her?"

* * *

Hermione and Draco were cuddling on the couch as her leg healed up. Dipsy was fussing over 'Missy' as Hermione slowly got more and more agitated. "DIPSY!" She shouted at the elf, causing him to cower. "Dipsy, I promise that I will be fine if you just let me sit here. If I need anything you will be the first one I call okay?"

Dipsy nodded his bobble-head. "Dipsy will be close by if Missy needs anything. Missy just needs to call Dipsy. Dipsy lives to serve Missy. Good day Missy, Master Draco."

As soon as Dipsy _popped_ out of sight Draco burst out laughing as Hermione fumed. "Is he always this bad?" She asked as she snuggled deeper into his chest.

She could hear a smile in his voice as he responded. "Dipsy has a tendency to make small problems seem huge and tends to over-mother, but he means well." Draco wrapped his arms more firmly around her waist and kissed the top of her head.

"Well I guess having someone who cares too much isn't awful." She said with a smile. Hermione took one of Draco's hands from around her waist and placed a kiss on the back before relaxing more fully against his front and falling asleep.

* * *

Harry paced back and forth inside of his office. Hermione is mad at him and he can't take it. He was only trying to do what he needed to, to make life easier for Mione and she didn't appreciate any of it! It almost made him mad but he knew that Hermione didn't like being outsmarted or taken care of so he just had to work on helping her in secret. Harry sighed. Helping people is so hard.

* * *

Ron stood in the middle of Hermione's flat, thinking of where else she could have gone. What exactly where they talking about before she Disapparated? "Loony!" She probably went to Loony's place!" Ron prepared to turn before he realized he didn't know where Luna lived. He had been to her childhood home before but it had exploded during the war and Ron wasn't sure if she had rebuilt it or not. "Damn. I'm so close." Instead the red-head turn on the spot and went back to the Burrow to ask Molly. "Hey Mum? Do you happen to know where Luna Lovegood is living? I have… something to pick up from her and I forgot to find out where she is."

Molly turned to her youngest son and tutted. "This is why I always tell you to think things through Ronald. Honestly. Well you're in luck that Luna rebuilt her new house right in the same area as the old one. Just Apparate to the stream instead of the house and you should be all good." She waved her apron at him. "Now scoot and be sure to stop by more often and for not just when you need something!"

Ron smiled sheepishly at his mother. "Thanks Mum. I'll be sure to bring Harry and Mione over for Sunday Dinner with me." Ron just hoped that he could fix everything in time for dinner in three days.

Ron trekked up the hill that leads to Luna's house with trepidation, what if Hermione wasn't there? He didn't have any sort of back up plan and he really wanted to fix things with Hermione. As he reached the top Luna was sitting cross-legged on a stump, watching him, as if she knew he was coming. "Hello Ronald." Luna called out in her dreamy voice. "I'm glad you decided to visit me. Will you be joining me in the watching of the Humslingers? They are so pretty when they flitter about."

Ron attempted a smile at the blonde witch. "Um, no Loo-na. I'm just here looking for Hermione. Have you seen her today?"

Luna tutted. "I saw her the other day but not this one. Is she lost?" She gracefully rose and skipped over the Ron.

"No, no. I just need to talk to her. We had a misunderstanding that I would like to clear up. I checked her flat but she wasn't home."

Luna's face lit up. "Well if she's not at her flat then she must be home." Ron looked confused. "I'm ever so happy that everything ended up working out. I think I'll go and give her my congratulations." With that Luna smiled and patted Ron on the cheek before winking and turning into her owl form. Ron stood dumbfounded as Luna the owl flew off towards her flower garden.

He paused for just a moment longer before he took of running after her. "Luna! Luna, wait up! Are you the owl who visited me and Harry the other day? Is Hermione back where she grew up? I don't know where that is! Can you please help me? I really want to find her because she's mad at me and I don't know what's going on!"

He turned the corner to see Luna plucking different flowers and placing them carefully in a large wicker basket. "Well Ron, I shall help you but first you must help me figure out which one of these you think tells Hermione that I love her and hope her much happiness with her soulmate."

Ron groans. "More stupid flower meanings?! I might be sick. I hate flowers." Luna giggles and motions for Ron to sit down as she continues to pluck them. Once she has enough she places the basket on the ground, turns back into an owl and flies off. "He looks after her as she flies away. "So I guess I just stay here then?"


	15. Ron Finds Out Part 2

HELLO PEOPLE! I HAVE BEEN NOMINATED TO WIN BEST REVIEWER IN THE 2016 MARAUDER MEDALS AND I WOULD LOVE IF YOU WOULD GO AND VOTE FOR ME! THANKS BUNCHES! LOVE Y'ALL! The voting ends on November 30th 2016. (if anyone knows how to put a link in your profile and wants to tell me feel free)

g o o.g l / forms / NIx63Lim2aJ02D0w2 (take out the spaces)

Writers block suuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuucks. Now back to our regularly scheduled programing.

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After what seemed like hours had passed, Ron watched as the Luna-owl flew back into the greenhouse. Luna preened her feathers from a perch and Ron shuffled his feet. "So, how did it go? Did you find Hermione? Is she okay? Can I go to her?"

Luna hopped off her perch and stood tall. "Well Ron, she was a little too busy to get my gift when I dropped it off, but she is perfectly safe. She is home and home is protecting her, as is the very sweet little elf who gave me a piece of toast."

Ron blinked. "If Hermione is home why are there elves there? Hermione would chop her wand arm off before she owned an elf. She founded spew for Godrick's sake!"

"Tut, tut Ronald. It's S.P.E.W. and she does not own the elf, though Dipsy does love his 'Missy' Hermione is not his Mistress."

Ron rubs the bridge of his nose. "Luna can you please just talk to me without riddles? I just want to find my best friend and sort this out. Nothing makes sense and everyone is keeping secrets and I just want to have Hermione tell me what's going on!"

Luna patted Ron's shoulder. "If you want to know things you just have to think. Hermione doesn't need to help you figure out every little problem." She shrunk down to her owl self and sat on Ron's shoulder. She motioned with her head as if she wanted Ron to walk forward so he did. He felt a little silly following the instructions of an owl, even if he did know it was Luna, and he eventually found himself in a wooden clearing and Luna left his shoulder for a branch perch. The tree she was resting on was decorated with different symbols. Ron peered at them but still had no idea what they meant.

"Luna? I don't understand what this is supposed to help with. Can you please explain it to me? I never took Runes in school." Luna-owl flew off for a moment before returning with a flower. She dropped it on the top of his head before chirping goodbye and flying off for good. "Um, thanks I guess?" Ron calls out to the retreating bird as he rolls the begonia over in his hand. "Time for more research." He says with a sigh and one last look around the clearing.

HG/DM/HG/DM/HG/DM

Hermione finally convinced Dipsy that she was fine enough to leave the couch. Draco supported her as they walked to the front door. "Thank you for helping me, but I really do need to get back home. I have things to plan and people to make pay." She kissed his cheek and took a deep breath, she wasn't going to Apparate home just to splinch herself again.

Draco grinned. "Stop being all bloodthirsty. It's hot." Hermione laughed and gave Draco a wink before she disappeared with a soft _pop_.

HG/DM/HG/DM/HG/DM

Outside of her home, Hermione noticed that the wards had been breached while she was gone. Since she wasn't informed that means that Harry or Ron must have come looking for her while she was out. She gave a great sigh. "I really don't want to deal with either of them right now. I don't think I can take more lies and excuses." At the sound of his human's voice, Crookshanks left the bedroom and complained loudly to Hermione. "Are you not happy that Harry or Ron came to visit Crooksey?" Did you give them a good scratching for being mean to me?"

HG/DM/HG/DM/HG/DM

As Draco turned to walk back to his house there was a loud _pop_ that caused Draco to turn back around with his wand raised. He saw Weasley and the Lovegood girl both staring at him. Lovegood with a smug grin and Weasley looking stupider than usual. "MALFOY?! SHE'S WITH THE FERRET?!" Weasley shouted as he completely ignored Draco.

Lovegood looked at Draco with a serene smile. "So she has gone already then?"

Draco just stared. "What's going on? What are you two doing at my Manor?!"

"Looking for Hermione of course. I knew she would be at home. Ronald wanted to go to her flat but that was silly. I of course Side-Alonged him here. It seems we've just missed her though." She turned to Weasley. "Well I guess we better check her flat again." Turning back to Draco. "Thank you for your help." With that Lovegood grabbed Weasley's arm and they both _popp_ ed away, leaving Draco blinking stupidly at the air.

"What?"


	16. Patched Up

_Oh Gods, sorry about that guys. My computer died right after I posted and it took ages for it to get fixed. Enjoy the chapter!_

 _Jesus. I went to update this and my heart stopped. **145 followers**! Dang! Thanks!_

* * *

After the confusing thing with Weasley and Lovegood Draco sighed as he rubbed the spot between his eyes. "Today has been too stressful. I know I wasn't the best person but have I really deserved all this?" He turned and walked back up to the Manor.

When he arrived inside Dipsy was waiting for him. "Dipsy has a letter for Missy." The small elf said with a bow.

"Why didn't you give it to her when you saw her Dipsy?" Draco growled under his breath. "Stupid elf."

Dipsy frowned at Draco. "Dipsy didn't want to bother Missy while she was resting and then Master had to go and let Missy leave before Dipsy though she was ready. Bad Master is trying to get Missy hurt!" The elf frowned at Draco with all the fury that a two foot tall creature can muster.

Draco was tempted to pull out his hair and he barely refrained. "I'm sorry Dipsy, why don't you just go send it to her now?" Draco started to walk to his study; he could use a glass of Firewhiskey before he went back to work.

Draco could hear a sniff. "If you wish Master but Dipsy would like to remind you that Dipsy is not an owl." Draco growled and stomped off louder. Maybe two glasses would be better. The little elf grinned before he disappeared with a giggle.

HG/DM/HG/DM  
Luna and Ron stood outside of Hermione's flat. Luna cocked her head to the side. "It is strange not coming in through the window." Ron just blinked before he raised his hand and knocked. They could hear Hermione calling to them from inside before she opened the door holding Crookshanks.

"Oh." Hermione frowned. "Hello. What are you two doing here?"

Luna smiled daftly at Hermione as she pushed her way inside. "We just came to see how you were. We stopped by your home first but we had just missed you."

Hermione frowned at the blonde but waved Ron inside. "You might as well just come in. There's no sense in having you wait outside while she raids my pantry."

Ron stood awkwardly in the flat. "Um, well. I'm not 100% sure what has happened today but I do know one thing. You got really mad at me and I'm not sure why. I know I can be thick but normally I can suss out what I've done wrong and I don't think I have this time."

"Really Ronald?! You are going to come into my home and-"

Luna pipes up from the kitchen. "We did not come in your home Hermione. I don't think Draco would enjoy that very much." The pair could hear a soft snicker.

Hermione rolled her eyes. "As I was saying Ronald. You come into my **flat** and tell me that you had no part in-" There was a soft crack and Dipsy stood in front of Hermione.

"Hello Missy there was a letter send to the Manor while you were incapacitated and before Dipsy could give it to you Master let you leave. So Dipsy has played owl again and brought Missy her letter." The elf grabbed Hermione's hand and led her to an armchair. "Now Missy is going to sit down and be good while Dipsy goes into the kitchen and makes a snack. Missy should not be walking around but Master is bad and believed Missy when she said she was fine." Dipsy gave Hermione a stern look. "Dipsy is not so easily fooled. Now. Sit."

As Hermione opened the letter Luna snatched it out from her hands. "Well it's from me and sense I am here I see no reason for you to read it. I just wanted to see if you were okay and now I can." Ron stood there with a dazed look on his face before his brain finally connected something together.

"WAIT! Did you get hurt? WERE YOU SPLINCHED WHEN YOU RAN AWAY FROM ME AND HARRY!?" Ron ran over to Hermione and began to pat her down and scan for blood. "Oh Merlin I would never forgive myself if you died because you tried to get away from me. Godrick I feel like a flobberworm right now. Are you okay? Do I need to call a Healer over? Do you need me to floo you over to Saint Mungos?"

Hermione smacked his hands away. "I'm fine Ronald. I promise. Dipsy is just over reacting I promise. Now can I _please_ get back to scolding you?"

Luna giggled. "Oh Hermione, the time for that has passed. Ron is a rotten liar and was as in the dark as you were. Anything he did was just to help Harry harness my Seer abilities and was therefore, harmless."

"Seer abilities. Divination is hogwash." Hermione scoffed. "Honestly Ronald, what where you thinking?!"

Ron blushed. "Me and Harry were going to figure everything out. Loo-na was saying all these things that became true so we were gonna figure it out and be more helpful."

Hermione sighed and stood up, wrapping her arms around her friend. "I know you mean well Ron and I'm sorry for assuming that you were involved in Harry and Kingsley's stupid plot."

"I'm glad you're not mad at me anymore. I would like to know what the plot was though." Ron said as he squeezed his best friend.

They all sat down on the couch as Hermione explained that Harry and Kingsley had hired her and were giving her raises just because they liked her and not because of all the work she had been doing. "I don't even know if I'm helping anything."

Ron frowned as Dipsy set down a plate of crackers and fruit. "Well I can see why that would make you mad, but at least you get to be in a position where you matter. As a muggleborn that kind of thing is hard."

Hermione sighed and nibbled on a cracker. "I know, it's just that I thought I had broken through the blood thing and gotten the job because I was so smart. Now I know I'm not better than all the pureblood that got their jobs because their family has been working in the Ministry for generations."

"Oh." Ron sighed. "I see the problem now." He looked at Luna, who just smiled and nodded. "Well maybe you shouldn't be too hard on Harry and Kingsley. They are only looking out for you. They just want you to do good."

Hermione sniffed and threw her arms around Ron again. "When did you get so smart?"

Ron laughed. "Hey! I'll have you know that I have always been pretty smart!" Luna nodded her head and went into the kitchen. She smiled at the elf and opened the window, flying back home.


	17. Research

_I'm really happy about all the reviews I've been getting, be sure to keep them up! Here's the next chapter. The next one is going to be really good. I promise.  
_

* * *

The next week Hermione sent back another letter from Kingsley, unopened. She wasn't about to honor his stupid offer with an answer. An hour after she sent the owl back there was a call from her fireplace. "Hermione?" Kingsley's baritone called. "Are you home? I wanted to get your answer about the position you wanted." Hermione quietly sat out of sight until he left.

Hermione sighed and Crookshanks hopped into her lap, purring as loud as possible. "I know I'll have to talk to him soon. I just don't want to." Crookshanks looked up at her reproachfully. "I know I'm being a coward. I can't be brave all the time!" Crookshanks rolled his eyes and went back to purring loudly. "Yes, yes, Gryffindor courage and all that rot. Well I don't want to."

There was a tapping from the window and Hermione stood up with a sigh. "I'm coming, I'm coming." She grabbed an owl treat and opened the window. "What do you have for me little one?" Hermione shrieked when the little owl turned into Luna.

"Hello Hermione. Sorry for not just writing you a note, but I figured this would be faster." Before Hermione could react Luna had grabbed her arm and they Disapparated from the flat. When they reappeared in Luna's home, Hermione rounded on Luna.

"You can't just go about kidnapping people from their kitchens! That's not something you do! I have half a mind to-"

"Luna! This is not what I asked you to do!" Ron's voice scolded from behind Hermione. "I asked you to invite her over, not kidnap her." A hand was laid on Hermione's shoulder. "Well now that you are here, you can help me out. Luna refuses to help and I've run out of ideas." Hermione turned to face Ron with a confused look.

"She also said that you didn't need Hermione's help, but you seem to be ignoring that." Luna said with a frown on her face.

"Help with what?"

Ron led Hermione out of the house and through the woods, explaining about the area that Luna had taken him to before. "I've been trying to figure out what the symbols on the trees mean but they aren't any traditional form of runes that I can tell." Hermione stood in the middle of the clearing in awe.

"This is so intricate!" She ran her hands along the bark. "I don't recognize it off hand, but I think I can find us some books that might be able to tell us."

Ron sighed. "I've already gone over the ones at Hogwarts and they don't show any runes that look like this."

Hermione smiled. "I wasn't thinking of Hogwarts."

HG/DM/HG/DM

"No."

"Please?"

"Absolutely not."

"For me?"

"I have no problem letting you into my library, but I draw the line at Weaslebee."

"Hey!"

"Hush Ron. Now Draco, I promise that we will leave your obnoxiously luscious library just as we found it. Now let us in before Dipsy shows up and yells at you."

Draco huffs and mutters. "Threaten me with my own house elf." Before he sighs. "Fine, but you only get the week and I don't want him messing everything up and getting poor germs everywhere."

"Hey!"

"Shush Ronald. It's a deal." Hermione kissed Draco on the cheek, much to Ron's displeasure and walked into the Manor. Ron traveled behind her and tried to ignore the glare that Malfoy was sending his way.

When they entered the sprawling the library the pair asked the elf in charge to hunt down all the books they could possibly need. They sent the rest of the day searching through the piles for any runes that looked similar to the ones they wanted. They hadn't had much luck until Ron stumble onto a book written in the runes that they were looking for. "Hey 'Mione I found something!"

Hermione flipping through the book and absentmindedly spoke. "Good job. I don't see any translation help or anything not written in the mystery runes, but something is better than nothing." She shut the book with a satisfying _thump_. "Well I think that's all we are going to get today. Meet me at my flat tomorrow morning and we can look again."

As they are walking out of the Manor, Hermione is stopped by Draco. "I missed you."

Hermione smiled and kissed him. "You could have visited me in the library."

"And see Weaslebee? No thank you." Draco scoffed.

"Well then, you just have to miss me then, don't you?"

Draco grinned and kissed her nose. "Or I can do this." He clasps a necklace around her neck and it immediately grew warm. She touched the small teardrop pendant hanging from the chain and raised an eyebrow. "I spelled it to heat up when I'm thinking of you." He gave her a puppy-dog look. "Wear it always?"

"Of course." Hermione smiled and gave Draco one last kiss before she left the Manor. When she got home she was greeted to a note from that read.

 _Hermione,_

 _An elf led me out. Maybe next time don't get all romantic in front of me. We really need to have a talk about that._

 _Ron_


	18. Kingsley Gets It

_Merry Christmas! This is a short little present for y'all. I hope you like it!  
_

* * *

Hermione **really** didn't want to talk to Ron at the moment so she decided to do what everyone who has ever been confronted with something they wanted to ignore has done, anything else. The anything else that Hermione chose was to talk to Kingsley. She sent a very polite owl to him right before bed that stated:

 _Kingsley,_

 _I am so sorry that I have been ignoring you. I have been working on a project. I've completed it and have decided on the position that I want. I shall be stopping by your office tomorrow morning to tell you. I look forward to seeing you._

 _Hermione_

Hermione grinned evilly as she sent the owl on its way and she fell asleep to dreams of how sorry Kingsley was going to be. When she woke up she stretched and smiled, getting dressed in her best set of work robes. Once she was donned in navy blue Hermione fed Crookshanks, wrote a quick note, and threw floo powder into the fireplace calling out, "Ministry of Magic!"

She calmly stepped out into the atrium and quickly strode to the lifts. She smiled at her fellow passengers and made small talk about the weather and such. Getting off on her floor, Hermione walked to Kingsley's office with a skip in her step. She smiled at Kingsley's secretary as the woman waved her in.

"Hello Hermione." Kingsley stood up from his desk and walked over to give her a hug. "I'm glad I got your note. I was getting worried that you were ignoring me. It's so like you to get caught up in your work though." The Minister smiled and sat down, motioning for her to follow suit. "It's exactly that kind of work ethic that makes me so excited to have you join our staff." Hermione smiled graciously, she was going to view this in a pensieve later. "Now just make sure that you don't work too hard now. We can't have you burning out before we get the full use out of you." He chuckled.

Hermione let out a small laugh as she stood. "Now while I would love to stay and chat, I do have some plans today. I just thought it would be best to give you my note in person." With those fateful words Hermione took a smoking Howler out of her pocket and placed it on the desk. As she whorled around Hermione could hear her own voice screaming: "KINGSLEY SHACKLEBOLT HOW DARE YOU!" Even once she shut the door.

The secretary was looking at Hermione in wide-eyed wonder as Hermione nodded and almost skipped away to the sound of her muffled screams berating the Minister of Magic.

By the end of the day Hermione's Howler to the Minister of Magic was infamous and everyone knew what he had done. As Hermione sat in her flat, in comfy pajamas and stroking Crookshanks, Hermione wondered if she should do anything to Harry or just let him stew in his own fear.

* * *

 _So I won't post the next chapter until I get y'alls opinion. I don't know if Hermione is going to pay Harry back or if her yelling at him earlier was enough. If you want more vengeful Hermione or if you want to get a move on plot-wise, let me know.I'll try to not hold chapters hostage like this again.  
_


	19. The Plan Part 2

_Hello, I am, in fact alive. I'm not going to tell y'all that life was hectic and everything is falling apart and that is why I've abandoned you. The muse died, I binged a bunch of fics, it's back and I am going to have a set update schedule. Every Tuesday until I mange to finish this I will put something up here. Cross my heart. I love y'all and hope you enjoy this little chapter.  
_

 _Don't forget that reviews make the world go round :3_

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When Hermione met up with Ron at the Manor's gates he was looking at her warily. "Are you going to do something like that for me to?" He looked pale. "Everyone is talking about how Harry and Kingsley were just going to give you whatever. A lot of people are mad."

Hermione smiled as she opened the gate and began the long trek up the drive. "Well Ronald, you've done nothing wrong and I am helping you with your little Runes project so I don't see any reason I have to ruin you now do I?" Ron gulped and shook his head quickly. "Exactly" Hermione chirped as she opened the ornate doors of Malfoy Manor.

"Good to see you Hermione. Weasel." Draco greeted the pair and began walking with them towards the library.

Once they had reached the doors Hermione turned to Ron, "I think you can work with the elf in the library about books with those Runes in them now that we have a reference to give her. I'll be back in a bit. I have some things that I would like to discuss with Draco first."

Ron pulled a face but walked in the library alone, grumbling about "stupid ferrets" and "boring research".

When the door slammed shut Draco nudged Hermione back into the wall. "Things to discuss with me hm." He leaned in and grinned when she turned slightly pink.

"Well I did want to talk to you about what I did the other day but if you had something else in mind then I don't see any harm in becoming slightly sidetracked." With a wicked grin, Hermione grabbed onto the collar of his shirt and pulled his face down to her level. "What kind of things did you have in mind?"

"Oh, just **things** …" Draco trailed off as he began laving kisses onto her neck.

"Mhm?" Hermione's voice was a smidge high as she responded. "Just things, nothing really in mind?"

"Nooooo, nothing in particular." He said with a grin as he nipped down her neck, pausing to try and leave a love bite on her collarbone.

Hermione tilted her head back to give Draco more space. "Well if you don't have anything in mind…"

"You talk to much witch." He growls as he captures her lips in his, molding himself against her curves. Hermione melts into him and wraps her arms around him neck.

They snog for a few minutes before she pulls back. "I really would like to talk before I have to go back and help Ron."

Draco groans and lays his head on her shoulder. "Way to kill the mood Granger." He stands up to his full height and backs up a few steps. "If we're going to have an actual conversation I guess we should go into the study." He says as he walks into the room next door and takes a seat at an ornate armchair.

Hermione follows suit and primly sits down, smoothing out her hair and fixing her clothes as she does. Her shirt does nothing to hide the bruise forming on her collarbone no matter how much she tugs on it. She frowns but turns to Draco anyway. "As I was going to say before you distracted me, I need to do something about Kingsley while the public is still annoyed about how he is no less corrupt than the people he cleaned out of the Ministry." She crossed her ankles and frowned. "I'm not sure who I would trust to do a better job than him though, as biased as he is, he is trying to do something good for the wizarding world and I don't want us to go backwards."

Draco grinned. "Well you could always run for Minister. I'm sure you would win." She didn't look entirely convinced and started to speak. He held up a hand. "Hear me out, you are crazy smart, you know our laws inside and out, you have a great public image. I'd love to see someone try and beat you in an election!"

Hermione stood and began to slowly pace the floor. "I can see your point. Who better to fix the corruption than me? If you want something done right you need to do it yourself of course!" With a small frown she stopped and faced Draco. "I don't want to run based solely on the fact that I am a war heroine though. I want to win because I am qualified and exactly what the wizarding world needs right now."

"Well I can't promise that none of your votes will be because you are apart of the Golden Trio, but Kingsley is a War Hero as well and so I can't see that holding much sway over the votes."

Hermione grinned and threw herself in the chair with Draco, peppering his face with kisses. "Well then, start getting my campaign ready, it looks like I'm about to toss out the current Minister."

"Yes ma'am."


	20. Manor Conversations

_IT'S TUESDAY AND I'M SO EXCITED BECAUSE I HAD THIS READY ON SUNDAY BUT I DIDN'T POST IT BECAUSE I WOULDN'T HAVE TIME TO WRITE UP A CHAPTER TO POST FOR TODAY SO YOU GET THIS NOW AND I AM SO READY HAVE THIS AND TAKE ALL OF THE LOVE I PUT INTO IT! Woo!  
_

 _I hope y'all like it because I love this chapter. Don't forget to review! Lots of people read last chapter but no one reviewed...  
_

* * *

After striding out of the study and into the library, Hermione felt like she could move mountains with her bare hands. Ron looked up as the library door opened. "Really Hermione? I know you don't have to help me but do you really need to snog him up against the door while I'm studying." He made a face. "It's gross."

"Ronald I watched you attempt to eat Lavender Brown's tonsils all throughout sixth year. Seeing a love bite on my neck from after the fact won't kill you." She primly sat down across from him and began leafing through a book on the desk. "And if you must know, we did not 'snog against the door' the whole time. We spoke in the study about my future plans as well."

"No Ministry stuff yeah? What field were you thinking about?" Ron sat down his book in the reject pile and picked up another.

"Minister of Magic"

Ron dropped the book he was holding as he looked at Hermione with alarm. "Minister! But you have to work in the Ministry before you can become Minister and after what you did to Kingsley he'll never let you work there!"

"Draco is looking into that. I don't think that there's an actual written rule about being a Ministry Employee before becoming the Minister and that it's just recommended. Granted, if anyone is qualified for Minister of Magic without having any experience in the Ministry it's me." Hermione frowned and made a note of a certain passage before setting the book in the 'helpful' pile next to her.

"So Draco is your boyfriend and assistant now?"

"Yes he's my boyfriend and yes he is assisting me with becoming Minister. I don't see what that has to do with anything Ron."

"He's basically sleeping with his boss then." Ron said with a laugh as he added another book to the growing reject pile.

"Ronald! That is not appropriate." She slams a book down on the table, causing him to jump. He looked contritely down into his book and didn't speak again.

HGDM

After many long and very frustrating months Ron had managed to get together the basic runic alphabet that was inscribed onto the trees in Luna's little grove. Ron took his extensive notes over to the Rookery and presented them to Luna. "How'd I do?"

She glanced at the paper quickly before she smiled simply at him. "Well you should look and see that for yourself now shouldn't you?" She turned into her little owl and perched herself on his shoulder and allowed herself to be carried to the grove. Ron began to compare his alphabet to the trees and was only able to transcribe half of the runes, and the runes he did figure out did not seem like they should have been in the same ritual circles at all. He attempted to ask Luna questions as to what he was seeing but Luna Owl sat on a tree branch and just watched him as he wandered around the grove, trying to piece together what Luna wanted him to know.

As the sun began to set Ron finally gave up with a huff. At the noise Luna flew onto his shoulder and bumped her feathery head against his cheek. Ron absentmindedly rubbed his finger under her chin as he walked back to her house. She jumped off of his shoulder and began to putter around her kitchen making tea. "How come they didn't all translate? Luna, why do I have to know what's in that clearing? The parts that I could get didn't all make sense." He holds out a piece of parchment and Luna glances at in as she passes by to grab the leaves from a cabinet next to him. "This section says something about the light power in the grass and this other section mentions dark happiness with the artifact! What sort of ritual circle is that? Why is it important? I feel so lost and you aren't trying to help!"

Luna tutted and sat two cups and a steeping pot on the table. "Why don't we sit down before the Wrackspurts begin bussing about and talk while we wait for the tea to steep? It's hydrangea, fresh from the flowerbeds this morning. It's quite delicious. It's one of my favorites actually."

Ron just huffed. "I'm not giving up, I'm just frustrated that after all these months of work that it's not falling into place like it should."

Luna poured two cups and handed one to Ron. "Well certain things only happen when they are needed to. Rippling water always becomes glassy eventually."

Ron snorts into his cup. "Not if someone keeps making waves at the other side."

Luna patted his hand. "Sometimes it's the wind that makes ripples and not people making waves." She took a sip of tea. "The wind can't blow all the time. There will be a still day and then everything will become clear." She set her cup down and cocked her head to the side, as if she was listening to someone. "People move at different paces in life and the sands of time don't fall evenly from the hourglass."

With a sigh Ron stands. "Alright Luna, I'll think about it. I just don't like that Hermione is almost ready to become Minister of Magic and I haven't done anything in all that time."

"A test cannot be taken until all the questions have been written, but a performance needs to be practiced for until the words are written in the brain."

"I guess." Ron frowns, thinking about what Luna had said. "I'll be back next weekend."


	21. The Campaign

_I really **really** like how this chapter turned out. I didn't get a chance to edit this too much before posting so please tell me if you spot anything. _

_Not a whole lot goes on but you do get a look into Hermione's Campaign. Now I don't want to spoil too much for you so hurry up and read this!  
_

* * *

Harry paced the floor of Grimauld Place, "this isn't blowing over like it should" he thought with a huff. He could hear the sounds of Ginny moving around in the kitchen and frowned at the paper in his hands. _Former Golden Boy Still Hiding Away_ , the headline proclaims. Crumpling the newspaper, Harry plastered a smile onto his face and went into the kitchen to see his fiancée. "How's the wedding prep going, Gin?" He dropped a kiss onto her cheek. "Mm, smells yummy."

Ginny blew a wayward strand of hair from her face before turning and giving Harry a kiss. "It would go faster if you helped. I'm busy with training and if I give Mum free reign over it the wedding will be too much and I know that you don't like too much of a spotlight on yourself if you can help it."

"I know Gin, I know. I'm just worried about the papers and work and everything. How about I go and help you and Molly after Sunday dinner?"

"Harry Potter! It's Monday! You can take some time out of your 'busy schedule' to help me before then!" She placed her hands on her hips in a motion reminiscent of her mother. "You don't think I'm tired after training all day with the Harpies and then making dinner but I still find time to owl my mother throughout the week! You do paperwork at your desk for 8 hours and then come home and lock yourself away!" She turned from Harry and went back to the pot on the stove, mixing it with more vigor than was strictly required.

Harry sighed inaudibly and then walked out of the room. It's never a good idea to going at Ginny when she's already annoyed or one is likely to have bats flying out of their nose.

* * *

 _ **War Heroine Runs for Minister**_

 _Hermione Granger, member of the famous Golden Trio, is taking the wizarding world by storm! In a shocking move Miss Granger has decided to run for Minster of Magic! Many people have been talking about having current Minister of Magic Kingsley Shaklebolt replaced after his scandal involving the same biased hiring practices that we had looked to remove from the previous Ministry under the rule of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named himself!_

 _Just yesterday Hermione Granger announced that she planned to run for Minister of Magic and the initial reaction seems to be very positive. If this campaign is successful then we will have our first Muggleborn Minister of Magic and if that's not a sign of new times ladies and gentlemen, I don't know what is._

 _ **Granger Campaign Is Under Way**_

 _This past month has been a very productive one for Hermione Granger. She has won the hearts of the Wizarding World with her fiery spirit and her belief in the good that Wizarding Britain can accomplish. Dear readers, we believe in her and what she stands for! People crow at her speeches and many a business can be seen sporting an_ 'I Support Hermione Granger' _sign out front and it has been noted by this reporter that those businesses have been booming recently. She doesn't just win the vote of those who have been traditionally oppressed but the Pureblood Vote as well, which does not bode well for Pureblooded Minister Kingsley Shakelbolt, because of who her campaign manager is! This reporter has the inside scoop that the driving force behind the aggressive Granger Campaign is none other than Sacred 28 Pureblood and heir to the Malfoy fortunes, Draco Malfoy! Nothing shows the true coming together that Hermione Granger preaches like having these Hogwarts rivals team up for the good of the Wizarding World._

 _ **Hermione Granger Visits Saint Mungos**_

 _Just yesterday morning I had caught Miss Hermione Granger visiting the children's ward at Saint Mungos. After researching that she did not have a sick child in that ward I waited patiently for her to leave so that I may enlighten my rabid readers on why she had gone into that particular ward on that particular day and you will not be disappointed as to why. I managed to talk to Miss Granger as she left the ward that afternoon. "I stop by occasionally and visit the children. It really makes them happy to meet me and if I can make a child smile because of my fame then I'll put it to good use." Hear that folks! Miss Granger frequents the Children's Ward, not for fame and the glory of it, because if I had not been covering another piece [to be released in Sunday's_ Prophet _, be on the lookout] then no one would have ever known what a kind soul our future Minister is. Thankfully, my dear readers, I am a reporter who jumps on any opportunity to keep you in the loop of the going-ons of our important people._

 _ **Future Minister Throws a Fundraiser Ball**_

 _Anyone who is anyone received an invitation to Hermione Granger's War Fundraiser Ball that took place in Malfoy Manor on Saturday Night. This reporter was one of the lucky few who were given the opportunity to be there and report back to you, lovely readers, on what took place._

 _The Ball was beautifully decorated by Narcissa Malfoy, who is said to be very close to Miss Granger, and the ball went on without a hitch that this reporter could see! Of course, the Malfoy's always did know how to throw a party. By the end of the night Miss Granger had managed to raise 100,000 Galleons that will go towards the rebuilding of many small business owners and families that have not been able raise the funds on their own to restart their lives. A truly noble cause, especially when Miss Granger needs money to fund her campaign, but we all know what a soft spot Miss Granger has for those in need, it is one of the reasons that she is running in the first place! We are a community in need and Hermione Granger is going to fix us._

* * *

Harry glared at the old newspapers in front of him. "How dare she do this to me! After everything we've been through together, tossing me aside after I tried to help her, working with **Malfoy** like she is. Just Disgusting."

There's a knock on the study door. "Harry? Dinner's ready."

"Coming!"


	22. Flat Fluff

_Super short little fluff chapter. Just checking back in on Hermione and Draco. The next chapter is going to be the ball and I'll take suggestions on what exactly you want to happen Drama Wise._

* * *

Hermione sighed as she stepped out of the Floo and tossed off her torturous heels. She smiled at the sight that greeted her, her boyfriend frowning at Crookshanks as he napped on what looked to be a once black jacket. It was now liberally coated in orange fur.

"You should know better than to leave black things out. Crookshanks loves to nap on your things because he knows it bothers you." She let out a silent laugh and sank down onto the couch next to her half-kneezle.

"If your mangy beast is smart enough to know that it bothers me then he shouldn't nap on them!" Draco pointed an angry finger at the napping ball of fur, who seemed slightly smugger than he did a second ago.

"Oh Draco, black soaks up heat better and Crooks is too old to be moving around too often." He pouted at her and sat down on the couch beside her. "He doesn't dislike you; he's just used to being able to do whatever he wants." She placed her aching feet in his lap and he started to massage them. "Also, it's not his fault that you can't get the hang of the fur removal charm I tried to teach you."

Draco huffed. "I was never good at cleaning charms." Crookshanks chose that moment to awake from his slumber and rubbed his head against Hermione's before blinking at Draco as he jumped from the couch. "Before we got sidetracked I did have something that I wanted to talk to you about."

"I'm all ears."

"Well I just thought that you would want to know that you are on the top of the list for the opening speaker at the Ministry Victory Ball next month." Draco grinned mildly evilly. "You get to say a short speech and then announce Minister Kingsley Shacklebolt for his last ever Victory Ball."

Hermione threw her head back and laughed. "Draco!" She was still giggle when she lightly kicked her foot. "You don't know that it will be his last. I might not win you know." She raised a finger to stop his opening mouth. "I know that you have faith in my and I'm glad that I will be able to open at the Victory Ball, it's a wonderful honor and it will give me a great platform to talk about my campaign in front of a lot of people without having to pay for a press conference."

"I have enough money they press conferences aren't exactly going to break the bank, Hermione. I love you and will support you as much as I can, even if most of it is only monetarily."

"Draco! You helped me get my campaign off of the ground! Without you I wouldn't even know what I want to do with my life! I love you and everything you've helped me do." She removed her feet from his grasp and leaned across the couch to kiss him. "You're perfect and are much more important than just as my main financial backer."

"I love when you talk official to me."

"Well then Mr. Malfoy, why don't we step into my office and I can give you my current polling numbers." Giggling at the look on her boyfriend's face, Hermione grabbed him by his ever-present tie and dragged him to the office, shutting the door with a soft **click**.


	23. Holiday Ball

_No one reviewed the last chapter... You guys need to tell me whether you like it or not! I don't know what direction you want me to go if you don't say anything! This chapter is the beginning of the ball and right before the speech. Depending on how I feel next week we might finish off the ball then, you're getting at least the whole speech and a little bit of Ron/Luna time.  
_

* * *

Sitting down at his desk doing paperwork was not Ron's favorite part of being an Auror but paperwork was a mandatory part of Auror duty so here he was, having spent the past few hours catching up on all the paperwork that he had been putting off that week.

A blue paper airplane flew around his desk a few times before hitting him square in the forehead and falling onto the desk. As Ron opened it up he read the note inside, written in a large, loopy, scrawl.

 _Dear Ron,_

 _I hope the Nargles haven't kidnapped you. Don't forget to be ready for the ball tonight._

 _Love, Luna_

 _PS- You really shouldn't put off your paperwork, it allows them time to breed and then you have more to do_

Ron looked up at the clock and hurried to put everything away. He only had an hour to get home and get ready before he needed to be there. He ran out the door, clutching the little blue note in his fist.

HGDMHGDM

Hermione was fixing her makeup in her vanity when she heard the chime of the floo activating. "I'm in here!" She called as she squinted at her reflection. She looked fine, very put together and you couldn't even see her nerves.

"You really shouldn't be so worked up." Draco said as he kissed her bare shoulder. Well most people wouldn't be able to see her nerves.

With a great sigh, Hermione turned and tugged at her dress, trying to get it to fall correctly. "I can't help it. I always get nervous before big things like this. I know that everyone is going to like me but I'm just worried that this time I'm going to do something that ruins everything we've worked for and then I won't be able to help anyone and I'll have wasted all this time when I could have been out there doing some real good in the world!"

Draco laughed. "Hermione, you're doing good things right now! The public loves you, you are hosting events for charities, you're bringing up amazing points in the Wizgamont, and nothing is going to go wrong tonight." He gave her a quick peck. "I promise."

Hermione smiled. "Well if you believe in me, then I can do anything." She stood up straighter and nodded her head decisively once. "Well we should be on our way so we can mingle before it's time for my speech."  
"That's my little politician!" Draco laughed.

HGDMHDDM

The hall was filled with clusters of bodies, all schmoozing and talking business as they scanned the room for political allies and threats. When Hermione and Draco entered the room arm-in-arm, the hall seemed to hush as people mentally went over how soon they could approach without seeming too eager and gauche.

A few low level Ministry employees approached them first. "Miss Granger, it's so lovely that you were able to come tonight! I know I don't speak for just myself when I say that we are glad that you are here, and willing to open for the Minister tonight." A paunchy middle-aged wizard said with a too large smile.

"Yes indeed," the slight older gentleman next to him said "maybe next year you'll be the one that needs someone to open for her, eh?"

Hermione laughed graciously. "I was so shocked to be asked to introduce Kingsley, I'm just happy that people thought I was worthy of such an honor." She winked at the paunchy one. "If my campaign keeps going as well as it is then that is a distinct possibility!" She turned and scanned the room behind them. "If you'll excuse me and my date, I think I see someone trying to wave me down. Good evening." They bid them goodbye and walked across the floor, stopping and saying hello to a few people, always 'being called away' after a few minutes until they made it to their table.

Draco chuckled. "Well, what are you going to do now Miss Granger? We've walked across the room and have yet to see this mysterious person who kept calling us away from all those other conversations."

"Well I needed some sort of line! I would like to practice my speech once more before it's time to go up there!" Hermione pulled her note cards out of her purse and mumbled quickly to herself before everyone started to take their seats at the tables. "Oh shoot, I need to get on the stage!" She kissed Draco on the cheek and rushed off.


	24. Holiday Ball Part 2

_Do not fret my lovelies! Today's chapter does not mean that I won't be posting on Tuesday like scheduled. I was just feeling inspired today and decided to give you a little bit._

* * *

Hermione watched from behind the crack in the curtain as people chatted at their tables and tossed back their flutes of champagne. When the lights dimmed and a spotlight appeared on the podium Hermione took a deep breath and straightened her index cards one last time before plastering a smile on her face and striding out into view. She tapped her neck with her wand and cleared her throat; the sound reverberated around the room.

"Hello everyone, I would like to thank you all for coming to this years Second Annual Ministry Victory Ball. It is such a great honor to be here tonight, I would like to take a moment and thank the Planning Committee for asking me to do this tonight." Hermione raised her arm and gestured to the seats off to the side where the Committee was sitting, they all stood at the modest applause given. "I would also like to thank my boyfriend and campaign manager Draco Malfoy for making sure I didn't fall apart both planning for this speech and running for Minister for Magic. Those who knew me in school remember how crazy I could get when someone didn't drag me back from it." The crowd laughed and Draco stood, giving as close to a beaming smile as he would allow himself to the clapping public. "Now without further ado, let me introduce the man you are all actually here to listen to, our Minister of Magic, Kingsley Shacklebolt!"

Kingsley walked out on the stage with a smile and took Hermione's place at the podium. They hugged and Hermione began walking off stage. "Thank you Hermione. That was a lovely speech." Kingsley smiled at the crowd. "I'm glad to see so many faces here with us tonight. The Wizarding World is repairing itself after that horrible war but we need to remember those we have lost and not just those who have survived. The brave men and women who lost their lives defending our way of life shall never be forgotten as long as we hold events like this. Now I would like everyone to take a moment of silence for the dead." Kingsley solemnly raised his wand and through the air above his head, a list of names, in alphabetical order, of the dead from the Second Wizarding World scrolled past. After the names had finished he flashed another smile and said, "Before I allow everyone to eat I would like to remind you that donations for those who are still struggling to get their lives back on track after the war will be taken in the second ballroom by our volunteer witches. Now let us eat!" Food appeared in the center of tables and Kingsley stepped of the stage to a spattering of applause as everyone dug in.

Draco nudged Hermione as he filled his plate. "I personally think that you did a much better job than he did."

She snorted. "Well you are just a bit biased, you know." She kissed him lightly on the cheek. "I wouldn't have you any other way." She turned to the others at the table and made conversation with them as she cut into her food. "So Undersecretary Bole how is your daughter? Just went into Hogwarts didn't she?"

* * *

Ron dug into the food, not bothering to clap as Kingsley walked off stage. "You know, it would have been awful if stoplockles showed up and ruined the event. Thankfully I haven't seen one yet. They do tend to cause rather large scenes."

Ron scanned the room and noticed a lack of a certain messy black head. "Yeah well Gin isn't going to let him make a big fuss and ruin anything for her. Her coach will kick her off the team if there was a scandal."

She grabbed his hand and gave it a squeeze. "I'm glad that you didn't let stoplockles make you crazy, they are notoriously hard to ignore."

"Well I have a little owl protecting me from them and little owls tend to be very good protectors." Luna smiled and kissed Ron on the cheek before turning back to her plate. Ron sat with his fork raised halfway to his mouth, his ears bright red.


	25. Holiday Ball Part 3

_Happy Halloween Everyone! I hope everyone is planning on having fun tonight. Here is the last of the ball. Please don't forget to review, it's the only thing I get for doing this and we are a little over 10 reviews away from 100! My 100 reviewer will get a one-shot dedicated to them ;)  
_

* * *

After most everyone was done eating Hermione and Draco took to the dance floor in the second ballroom. After a few songs they stopped by the donations table and spoke to a few people while they placed their donation. Hermione charmed politicians and stuffy old purebloods, most of who walked away from their conversations with small smiles and a fleeting thought of voting for Hermione Granger in the upcoming elections.

After one such successful schmooze, Draco swept Hermione back onto the dance floor. "Well Miss Minister, I think your event is going swimmingly tonight."

Hermione threw her head back and laughed, lighting hitting Draco on the chest as he twirled her. "Draco! I'm not the Minister and this was is not my event! I just helped introduce the speaker, who is **actually** the Minister of Magic."

"Only for the next few months my love, only for the next few months."

Hermione sighed and shook her head. "I love you but you can be a bit much you know?" She said with a smile.

Draco gasped, twirling them into a little alcove before releasing her and raising a hand to his chest. "Much? Me? How dare- I'll have you know that I am the perfect amount!" His eyes were alight with laughter as he went on about how he was not much at all and if anyone was much it was her and he had no idea why she would even say something like that.

Hermione tried to look serious, but her mouth was tugged into a small smile. "I don't have time for your dramatics tonight Draco, we have to go out there and make sure everyone likes me enough to vote for me."

Draco pecked her on the lips. "I love you, does that count?"

"No Draco, it doesn't. I need more than your vote to win."

"Well everyone will love you because if you could win me over, you could win anyone over."

"I don't think you want me to win everyone over like I did you…" Hermione trailed off with a wicked grin.

"Hermione Jean Granger, how dare you think dirty thoughts while we are in pubic and I can't do anything about them?" Draco mock-scolded, wagging his finger at her. He swept her back onto the dance floor and they continued as if they hadn't just missed the most of the song.

* * *

Ginny stood off to the side of the dance floor with Hannah watching the couples twirl around while they talked wedding plans. "I don't know how you do it, a full-time job, dealing with Harry, and planning a wedding. It makes me so glad that me and Neville just walked in the Ministry and signed the papers. Wedding planning is just too stressful." Hannah said as she sipped her champagne and watched Neville talk with Pomona Sprout.

"Well it would be easier if Harry would help, but he seems to be allergic to wedding plans. I'll tell you, it's driving me spare." Ginny tossed back her glass and looked around for the floating trays carrying refills. "It wouldn't be so bad if my mother didn't want to the whole thing to be exactly like her wedding, bells and frills and all." Ginny sighed and shared a commiserating look with Hannah. "I almost want to tell her to just butt out but I don't think I could break her heart like that. How did you manage to break the news to Neville's Grandmother that she wouldn't get a wedding at all?"

Hannah laughed. "Augusta Longbottom is one scary woman and I about worked myself into a panic before we told her, but she just fixed her eye on me and Neville before telling us that she expected to have her grandchildren over soon before dismissing us. I'm half-convinced she cast some sort of nonverbal fertility charm on us! Thankfully I'm not pregnant yet, but I haven't been letting Neville forget the charm even though I'm on the potion. That woman terrifies me."

"She terrifies everyone Hannah."

* * *

The ball was over and the last stragglers were stumbling through the floo. "Well I think we can leave now." Draco said from his spot lounging gracefully on a chair, his robes artfully mussed. "I mean we could have left at any point but I'm sure we can leave now."

Hermione scoffed. "We could not leave before now! It's impolite for the host to leave for the guests.

"Well as you've told me multiple times tonight, you are not the host; you are just the introductory speaker." Draco smoothly stood from the chair and grabbed Hermione by the hand. "Please let us leave now, it's going on three in the morning and even Shacklebolt left hours ago."

With a kiss on the cheek, Hermione pulled Draco to the apparition point. "Well Draco, as you have been telling me all night, I'm better than Shacklebolt." With a **pop** the pair disappeared into the night.


	26. Quibbler

_Sorry for the lackluster chapter guys, I wrote the article a few days ago but I wasn't really feeling it. Oh well, it's posting time and here you have it, not really happy with it but here ya go._

* * *

 _Narglywiggets Stop Shacklebolt from holding the Title of Minister_

 _My good friend Hermione Granger was just voted by British Wizarding society to become the next Minister of Magic! As I have been reporting, it is assumed that the narglywiggets surrounding former Minster Shacklebolt might have had something to do with his defeat in yesterday's election. Hermione sent out a statement to me and the_ Daily Prophet _after hearing about her win, here it is: "I hoped that I would win but I wasn't sure if I actually would. The fact that everyone believes in my mission as much as I do gives me the hope that we can turn Wizarding Britain around and bring it to the glory of the Wizarding World as we know it! I would like to thank everyone who voted for me or was involved in my campaign in some way; I would not be here without you all." I could not get Kingsley to give me a comment; I hope the botnuggets haven't stolen his tongue. For tips on how to avoid narglywiggets, go to page 3; for tips on how to ward your mouth against botnuggets, turn to page 6._

Hermione lowered the paper and grinned. Trust Luna to make the news even stranger than normal. "So Draco, what did you think about this morning's _Quibbler_? It was rather lovely in my humble opinion."

Draco snorted and picked up his china cup of tea. "Well Miss _Minister_ , I thought it was particularly informative, why I just popped right over to page 6 because I know someone who would be very upset if my tongue went missing." He gave Hermione such an over the top, salacious wink that she cracked up.

"Yes, yes, the only part of you that I would miss. She darted her eyes down. "There's not much else." She said as she picked up her fork and cut into the eggs on her plate.

"Not much!" Draco stood from the table and waved his hand over it, casting a stasis charm. "I'll show you not much else!"

* * *

Ron sat in the center of the clearing with a crumpled copy of today's _Quibbler_ sitting next to him, along with his Runic Notes. He took a deep breath and frowned at the papers in front of him. His eyes flicked back to 'narlywiggets' for the third time in one minute when he sighed and flipped to page three, scanning the list on the page.

 _Keep the area free of clutter_

 _Never step with your left foot first_

 _Smoke them out with Jasmine and Rosemary incense_

Ron sighed before he set to clearing the area of small sticks and fallen leaves. It wouldn't hurt to try; he wasn't any closer to solving the trees mystery than he was months ago. Ron was starting to miss his free-time, but this was the only thing he could think of that he was so committed to, not even the Horcrux hunt could keep his focus and require him to research for this long without giving up or taking a break.


	27. Harry's Reaction

_Here's a longer chapter for you!  
_

 _Side Note: In a few weeks it's going to become Christmas Season and I'm going to be picking APWC back up. I haven't decided what I'm going to do with IGYTW and it's update schedule when that happens. As of right now I don't have any chapters backed up so if doing them both becomes too much I might have to put this on hold. Nothing is solid yet, just let me know what y'all think about that._

* * *

Harry tossed the _Quibbler_ across the room. "Luna too?" He muttered to himself as he stood from the chair at his desk and began to pace around the study. Spending a few minutes grumbling about ungrateful people while wearing a hole into the carpeting brought Harry no closer to a solution on how he could go about repairing his reputation and once again becoming The Boy Who Lived and a beloved household name.

Ginny cracked open the door and peered in, mildly worried about her fiancé's odd behavior. She shut the door quietly before walking towards the floo. "I should call Ron and see if he can fix this."

HGDMHGDM

"Ron?" Ginny's voice echoed throughout the empty flat. "Rooon? Are you home? I need your help with Harry? He's been getting weirder and weirder and I don't know what to do. He's not being himself and he won't listen to me. Come over here and talk sense into your best friend before I knock him over the head and hope it works!" There was no answer.

HGDMHGDM

Ron was sitting cross-legged in Luna's back garden when Ginny was calling. "So I've mostly got this done. All I need to figure out is what this one Rune means. It keeps reoccurring and without it I don't know what the grove is talking about. It looks vaguely like a combination of the Ancient Rune for Hope and the Celtic Rune for Despair but that's not particularly helpful nor does either fit in my phrases."

"Hope and Despair are not so far off."

"I know that, that's why the Runes are so easily confused. My problem is, even if it is one or the other, neither fits in the lines I've already translated out."

Luna nodded sagely. "Sometimes things are not always as they appear and a little magic causes everything to slide into place."

"I've already tried avoiding narlywiggets and while it did help me finish a few things, it didn't solve the whole problem." Ron shook his head and collapsed backwards, staring up at the clouds. "I wish I saw things like you did Lu. Then this would have snapped together months ago."

Ron's stomach chose that moment to rumble, causing Luna to giggle and bounce up from the grass. "You stay and meditate while I go and find something to quiet to Snarts that you have swallowed." She skipped off, leaving Ron alone.

HGDMHGDM

Hermione was sitting at her desk when Elizabeth, her secretary, stuck her head in. "Mr. Malfoy is here to see you ma'am. Shall I let him in?"

"Yes, thank you Elizabeth." Hermione did not look up from the papers she was working on as Draco strode into the room. "Hello Draco. Any reason for you to be visiting me during the work day?"

Draco plucked the quill from Hermione's hand, ignoring her death glare. "My dear it is time for your lunch break and I knew that you would not take one if I did not come here to whisk you away, so here I am." He threw out his arms wide and smiled in such an innocently cute way that Hermione could not help but smile back.

"Fine, you may take me out for a quick lunch to the bistro across the street and then I have to get back to work, I have lots of papers to go over before tomorrow or I put other people behind schedule and I refuse to do that if I can help it."

Draco grabbed Hermione by the hand and slowly began pulling her out of her office. "I understand love. As Minister of Magic you are a very busy woman and have many important things to see to. I understand your controlling nature does not allow for delegation, and I love you for that, it also means that I must be the one in charge of your health because you won't do that for yourself. So allow me to treat my favorite person in the whole world to lunch."

Hermione huffed but acquiesced, calling to Elizabeth as they headed for the elevators, "I'll be back in an hour! Hold my calls!" A quiet 'yes ma'am' followed them as they left.

HGDMHGDM

Molly Weasley tried her best to hide her furious expression as Ginny sat at the Burrow's kitchen table with her head pillowed in her arms. "I'm so tired mum. I can't deal with his moods and everything else as well. My couch said that we'll play our sub against the Arrows because my head hasn't been in it during practices. I worked so hard to be here! Why is everything falling apart right when I'm about to get everything I've ever dreamed of?"

Molly rubbed soothing circles on Ginny's back. "It's alright Ginerva, sometimes setbacks happen, but everything works out in the end. These things take time." Ginny sat up, nodding but still looking forlorn. "Now why don't you head on upstairs and take a little kip while I fix us lunch? I'll wake you when it's done." Ginny nodded, getting up from the table and heading towards her old bedroom.

After Ginny was out of sight, Molly set some sandwiches to making and headed to the floo. "HARRY JAMES POTTER!"


	28. Harry Gets It

"HARRY JAMES POTTER!"

Harry jerked out of his thoughts and cautiously crept out of his office and towards the floo. He cleared his throat. "Um, yes Molly?"

"I SHOULD TAKE YOU OVER MY KNEE AND GIVE YOU A PROPER BEATING! MY LITTLE GIRL JUST CAME TO ME AS CLOSE TO CRYING AS I'VE SEEN HER SINCE SHE WAS IN HOGWARTS! IF YOU DON'T PULL YOUR HEAD OUT OF YOUR ARSE AND MAKE IT UP TO HER I WILL PERSONALLY MAKE YOU PAY!" Harry had never been more afraid of his surrogate mother in ages. He had forgotten until now that she was the same woman who had killed Bellatrix for trying to harm her daughter…

"Um, Molly… Would you like to come over? I could fix you some tea? We could have a little chat?"

"THERE WILL BE NO 'LITTLE CHAT' HARRY JAMES! YOU WILL GET YOUR LIFE TOGETHER, START TREATING MY DAUGHTER LIKE YOU ACTUALLY LOVE HER, AND SUPPORT HER! DID YOU EVEN KNOW THAT HER COUCH BENCHED HER? SHE'S HAVING A TOUGH TIME BECAUSE OF YOUR MOODS AND REFUSAL TO HELP PLAN THE DAMN WEDDING!" Molly was so angry that her face in the fire was spitting actual coals out of the fireplace. "TAKE CARE OF MY LITTLE GIRL OR I WILL MAKE YOU SORRY HARRY POTTER!" Harry gulped and nodded quickly. "Good, now you will make yourself presentable and figure out how to apologize to my daughter or I will not be as nice the next time she comes to me upset. Are we clear?"  
"Crystal."

* * *

Ron had sat meditating until he felt like he was going to fall asleep. By the time he was nodding off in the sun and half an idea was niggling at his conscious, Luna came back with a plate piled high with different types of sandwiches. "You need to find the fine line between awake and asleep." She sat down and nudged him mostly awake again. "Meditation should not lead to naps, but enlightenment." She held out a triangle which he blearily took. "Trances are that middle ground, but they are harder to achieve than one might think."

"Lu," Ron mumbled around a mouthful of ham and cheese, "I took Divination and with all the incense and the stench of cooking sherry I was surrounded by for years I never felt anything close to a trance in that class, just almost naps."

Luna beamed at him around a mouthful of cucumber. "Exactly! Trances are on the thin line between sleep and meditation, not the lack of sleep while you meditate!" She patted him on the hand. "You were right there but did not have a reliable Seer to help along your promise and so you believed that any form of the Sight was beyond you!" Luna waved her half eaten sandwich in the air as she made her point. "Most witches and wizards have a little bit of the Seer ability in them! Why else would Divination be a class? You just need to be taught by a fully awakened Seer, they can more easily steer a budding Seer into finding how deep their true talents lay."

Ron sat up. "So I could be a Seer?"

Luna nodded sagely. "You could have untapped Seer abilities. Trancing is one of them. Lots of information could be taken from a trance. You're not really learning new information unless you are a true Seer, you would just be opening your mind to the things you **already know** and just forgot because the mind is a tricky thing and it doesn't like to remember everything. I think that's silly though because everything is helpful at some point."

"Wait so Occlumency and Legilimency are forms of Divination?"

"The ability to recall things with an almost perfect clarity would be a part of Occlumency that did lend itself to Divination I suppose but Legilimency is not Divination at all." Luna giggled. "And that is actually something that you are either born with or not. Not everyone has the mind and temperament to become a Legilimencer, but most people will tell you that anyone can be taught. Most people would be wrong." Ron just shook his head and picked another sandwich up from the pile.

* * *

Being the ex-Minister of Magic did not lead to a quiet life. Most of his successors left the office in shame or never actually left at all and were murdered. This did not give Kingsley Shacklebolt a good feeling about himself even months after the election. People would either look at him out of the corner of their eyes and sniff or snub him altogether. It was a rather disconcerting turn of events for the normally very popular Pureblood. The only good thing about his partially self-imposed exile is that he was able to spend a lot of time traveling and a fair bit of time working on legislation for the Wizengamot. That was one thing that the election hadn't changed. Kingsley was very thankful that he still held both the Shacklebolt and the Shafiq seats. As the months passed and nothing seemed to be getting better for Kingsley, he was thinking about relocating to the continent in an effort to start over fresh, somewhere the title Former British Minister for Magic would mean something good and not be stuck with the negativity that now coats his name in Britain.

After his latest jaunt over to India, where he had stayed for a few months in a nice little village, Kingsley's mind kept going back to it. It was a peaceful wizarding village and only a short distance from the heart of Wizarding India. He could very well see himself living there full-time. He started sending owls to the next in line for his Wizengamot seats, the Portkey office, and realtors in India. He also started packing up his things because if all went smoothly, he could have himself all squared away and moved into his new life by the end of next week.

* * *

 _Sorry that I didn't update yesterday! I had Friendsgiving and didn't get home until 2 AM... Here's a long chapter today to make up for it! I'm probably going to go on a short break while I work on APWC just so I don't have lots of things like what happened this week happen to two fics because December is really busy for me with all of the familial obligations. Sorry for the late chapter and the bad news._


	29. We're Pregnant!

_Merry Christmas Everyone! I shall be starting my weekly updates back again. This will count as this weeks update and the next update will be January the 2nd._

* * *

Harry was getting out of the shower when the floo flared up once again. He didn't think that Molly would come through after her shouting match so Harry could only assume it was Ginny. He quickly dried himself off and slung some pants on before walking down the stairs. "Hello Ginny!" He shouted as he turned into the living room.

Ginny blinked at him before smiling. Her eyes were lightly rimmed red and her nose looked a touch raw. "Harry." She said, giving him a nod. "Decided to take a naked stroll around the house?"

Harry scoffed. "Naked? I'm in my pants!" He gestured to the cotton on his body. Ginny rolled her eyes and made her way to their bedroom. "So how was your day? Anything exciting happen?"

"Not particularly. I went and popped by Mum's for a bit. We had a chat and some tea. I don't know what Mum does with tea that makes it so much better than when I make it."

Harry's mouth had gone dry at the mention of Molly. He swallowed thickly. "Soooo, did you and Molly work on some wedding plans then?"

"No just visited. We haven't done much of that with everything going on. I hadn't realized how much I missed Mum until then. It was… therapeutic."

"Mhm"

Ginny pulled her shirt over her head and pulled a pajama top on. As she shimmied out of her jeans she asked, "What did you do today?"

"Oh you know… just some research. Took a shower. It was pretty dull." He stepped closer and put his hands on her hips, stopping her from sliding her pajama bottoms on all the way. "Have I told you that you look **ravishing** today?"

Ginny moved out of his grip and laughed. "No. What did you want?"

Harry looked affronted. "Why would I need something just to tell you that I love you?"

Ginny rolled her eyes. "I don't trust you but alright. Thank you."

* * *

Draco and Hermione were lounging on a couch, her head in his lap as he read aloud from a book about law.

Dipsy walked into the library, his shrill voice carrying to the couple in the back of the room. "Dipsy would like to inform Master that Young Mister Longbottom is here to see Missy. Dipsy left him to wait in the entryway. Should Dipsy take him to the small parlor?"

Hermione sighed and sat up. "No Dipsy just bring him in here."

The elf sniffed and looked at Draco expectantly. "Dipsy just bring him in here, it's fine."  
"Yes Master. Dipsy shall bring Young Mister Longbottom into the **library** to see Missy." As he walked out of the room Draco and Hermione could hear him grumbling to himself, "Why would Dipsy bring him to the parlor? Why not the library? Who takes guests in the parlor? How odd." Draco smothered a laugh at the elf's expense.

Hermione was still giggling when Neville came back in with Dipsy. "Dipsy would like to present Young Lord Longbottom to Master and Missy" after a dramatic pause, he continued "in the library and not the parlor." Neville gave Dipsy an odd look just as Hermione and Draco burst out laughing.

Neville just shook his head and walked over to the little nook that the pair was snuggled away in. Hermione and Draco were now sitting very close, but side-by-side. "I came over because me and Hannah wanted you to know before the _Prophet_ announced it tomorrow." He caused dramatically. "We're pregnant!"

Hermione squealed and threw herself at Neville for a hug. "Oh Neville I'm so excited! I'm so happy for you both!" She leaned back and looked him in the eye. "This wasn't planned wasn't it?"

Draco covered a laugh with a cough as Neville spluttered, "Of course it was! Just because we are young doesn't mean this was an accident! Hermione!"

"Hermione, you can't just ask that." He pried Hermione from Neville's arms and clapped him on the shoulder. "Congrats man."

"Thanks."

Neville sat down in a plush chair while Hermione and Draco sat back down on the couch. "So where's Hannah this evening?"

"She's over telling Susan. I wouldn't want to see what kind of wrath would rain down on us if we forgot to tell Hannah's best friend before the paper tomorrow." Neville flashes Hermione a wry grin. "Just like I wouldn't want to know how many hexes I would get for not telling my best friend."

"Oh Neville" Hermione let out a loud sniff. "You're so sweet." She threw herself at Neville for the second time that evening.

Draco just rolled his eyes at his girlfriend's dramatics.

* * *

Later that night as Hermione and Draco lay in bed Draco asks a question into the dark. "Do you ever think about that?"

There's a quiet rustle and a sleep-filled voice answers. "Bout what?"

"Marriage, babies, that whole bit."

Hermione rolls over and cuddles into Draco. "Maybe someday, I'm perfectly happy with how things are right now though." She yawns. "Why? You thinking about getting married soon?"

Draco cuddles into Hermione. "Of course not. Why ruin a good thing?" His mind drifts to the little velvet box hidden deep in the recesses of his sock drawer as they drift off to sleep.


	30. Trying

_Hello my lovelies! Don't forget to review!  
_

* * *

Ron spent a solid month sitting with Luna and trying his hardest to properly meditate. So far it was a rousing failure. Ron was getting increasingly upset but Luna would just kiss him on the cheek and tell him that he was doing swimmingly. "Right on schedule with what I expect." She'd say at the end of every session after she brought out a plateful of sandwiches. "You're coming along nicely."

Ron would grab a sandwich off the top of the pile, bypassing the cucumber ones that Luna favored, and grumble as he ate. While Ron never caught onto things as quickly as Hermione did in school he was normally quicker on the uptake than this! "Lu, maybe I'm just not a wizard who has any sort of Seer abilities in me, latent or otherwise."

"Nonsense, no one can take three years of Divination and not have any sort of Seer ability! Those without tend to drop the class or not take it at all."

Ron blinked. "You mean that Trelawneywas right about Hermione not having an open inner eye or whatever?"

"Yes. While most people will wait until the end of the year to drop the class, Hermione did leave because she is not a Seer. It tends to be genetic so there's a less likely chance of Muggleborns being Seers." Luna shrugged. "I'm not surprised that Hermione has no Seer abilities, she was always very serious child. While it is important for being Minister, it is more of a hindrance for a Seer to be like that. It's like a bobble trying to fly instead of wobble, it doesn't work."

"Well then how come I've spent all this time trying to tap into my abilities and nothings happening?"  
"What was your first bit of accident magic like?"

"Fred and George were chasing me on their brooms and had picked me up by the arms so I was dangling between the two of them. I was only a foot off the ground but I was scared out of my wits. I let out a wail that sounded like a banshee, I had managed to cast what was essentially a sonoras and it brought Mum running out. She gave them such a beating." Ron paused momentarily. "A few days later was when they turned my teddy into a spider."

Luna nodded. "And can you tell me about the first time you tried to do magic on purpose before you entered Hogwarts?"

Ron sat for a moment, thinking. "I think that might have been the time I tried to turn Fred's hair blue. They twins were bothering everyone with their 'I'm not Fred, I'm George' thing and I was sick of it. I grabbed Bill's wand from his nightstand but I couldn't get it to work. Mum wasn't pleased when she found me messing around with Bill's wand."

Luna smiled like the answer to the world's problems had just fallen out of Ron's mouth. "Exactly! You were trying to hard to do it on purpose and it didn't work! You need to let go and the trance will come to you!"

Ron sighed. "Lu, I don't think not trying is going to help. I need to try to get into a trance or else I'll just end up napping in your garden and that's not what we want."

"Think what you think but a bobble knows how to wobble and pushing it before it is ready won't help it go any faster."


	31. Chapter 31

_AAAAAAHHHHHH I'M SO SORRY! I've had this chapter written for a week but I was waiting to post it on Tuesday, but yesterday I was out of the house when my "Post" alarm went off so it completely slipped my mind! Also, baby time jump.  
_

* * *

Hermione had had a very productive month. She had passed multiple laws that improved the lives of werewolves and had gotten the Wizengamot to remove Dementors as Azkaban prison guards. Draco was taking her out to dinner in congratulations for her latest pro-werewolf bill. "You know, if I could just get him one on one I'm certain I could get him to start voting my way. Better yet if I could make the vote system anonymous then I'm positive I could have even more people swing their votes! It's stigma and fear that stop some of them from doing the right thing I'm sure of it!"

Draco smiles at his girlfriend. "Love, you wouldn't be able to get that passed. Whoever voted for it might as well just brand themselves as a swinger! It'd be the end of their connections with everyone they know."

Hermione pouted. "Yes, yes. I'm aware of that. It's just, I want to be able to do so much and these silly light and dark lines are stopping that!"

"Hermione, while it stops people from voting for you, it also keeps people from voting away from you…" When Hermione fixed him with a glare he raised his hands in supplication. "I swear it! Some people are only voting for you because they want to look good! If they voted against you, people would look down on them and they can't afford it." Hermione looked pensive. "Just consider that having a blind vote might actually end up causing all those amazing things you've done so far to retract and I would hate to see all your hard work undone."

"I see your point." Hermione poked at her chicken with her fork. "Maybe this is better for me in the long run. I can see why no one has thought to do that yet; the public vote causes people to vote the way the public sways and not as much for themselves. You'll always have the diehards one way or another but the vast majority sits in the middle and is practically controlled by popular opinion…" Hermione trailed off, raising her fork to her mouth absentmindedly as she thought. She swallowed. "You've given me something to think about Draco, thank you."

Draco grins, "Well I hope I can give you more things to think about later tonight."

"Draco, you can't just say things like that!" Hermione laughed and hit him on the arm. "What if someone heard you?"

"Then they'll know that I'm going home with the prettiest witch in this place."

HGDMHGDM

The pair snuggled in bed together later that evening. "Well Draco, I have to say that today was a great day." Hermione let out a yawn. "Pretty great day."

Draco took a deep breath. "You know what would make this day even greater?" Hermione hummed and snuggled deeper into his embrace. "If you would marry me."

Hermione stiffened and pulled back slowly from Draco's arms. "Did you just say what I thought you said?"

"Will you marry me?" Draco looked pink even in the dim lighting. His hands fiddling with each other as he awaited her response. "Please?"

Hermione sat up, pulling the comforter along her body as she did. "Is this a spur of the moment thing or?" Hermione paused to collect her thoughts. "Are you really asking?" She sounded either slightly hopeful or nauseous.

Draco scrambled out of the bed and tore through his sock drawer. He pulled out a small box with a shout of "ah ha!" before coming back to the bed and kneeling on the floor by Hermione's side. "I've had this ring for ages and I almost proposed to you a month ago but I was afraid of your reaction. I'm not afraid anymore. I love you Hermione Jean. Will you make me the happiest man alive and do me the honor of becoming Mrs. Draco Malfoy?"

Hermione sat in shock and stared at her boyfriend with wide eyes. "I… I don't know what to say right now." She blinked back tears. "Draco… I"


	32. The Response

_Here you are loves! Don't forget to tell me what you think!  
_

* * *

Harry hadn't been sleeping much lately. Molly had put fear in his heart and so he had put all of his hours with Ginny: going to her practices, cooking dinner for her, helping with the wedding plans. Things were looking up for their relationship. The only problem was this meant that the only time he had to keep up with Hermione and Draco was at night. Harry had spent many a sleepless night trying to think of ways to make everyone see what was going on. Hermione was taking over the world! She was the Minister and had the Wizengamot in the palm of her hand. Nothing was the way it should be.

People had stopped glaring at Harry when he would go out in public now, the only positive to being out so often was that people got used to seeing him out and about. Harry Potter is supposed to be the Savior of the Wizarding World but now he was this guy who had a breakdown a few months ago but isn't really important anymore. It was disconcerting. He always wanted to be "Just Harry" but now that he got his wish, he found that it wasn't to his liking. The saying that you never know what you have until its gone is very real. Yes, he doesn't get mobbed in the streets anymore by fans, but children don't look at him with awe and waiting in lines sucked.

This lack of sleep coupled with the fact that he had to be secretive about his new planning lead him to his current predicament.

"Harry James Potter, what are you doing?" Harry jerked awake at the sound of Ginny yelling.

"Wah?" He wiped drool off his chin and blearily groped around for his glasses.

Ginny stood at the door with her hands on her hips and a scowl on her face.

"We have dinner reservations tonight, it's time to leave, and you're not even close to ready yet." Ginny walked into the room sighing. "I don't know why you're so tired; we went to bed early last night." Harry finally managed to find his glasses and he glanced down at himself, he was still in the lounge clothes that he had put on that morning.

"Sorry. I meant to sit down for a minute before I started getting ready. I must have fallen asleep." Harry stood up and went over to his closet. "I don't know why I'm so tired, must just be because we've been go, go, going lately."

Ginny frowns at her fiancé. I guess so…" She trails off, eyeing him speculatively. "But I'm still mad at you for making us late. I'll head on over so we don't lose our table. Please hurry okay?" She kissed him on the cheek before leaving the room, Harry could hear the front door open and shut a minute later. If he listened hard, he could almost make out the quiet **pop** of Ginny heading to the restaurant.

That's another thing that wouldn't have happened before; they wouldn't have to worry about missing a reservation because no one would dare make them wait on a table even if they were late!

Ten minutes later Harry arrived in front of the small building. He walked in and saw Ginny sitting at a table near the back. "Hey babe." He said, placing a kiss on her cheek before he sat down. "I made it."

Ginny rolled her eyes. "Yes, but I had to sit here by myself for ages while you were getting ready because your little power nap stopped you from being ready on time." Ginny pulled a face. "Do you know what's it like for people to look at you like they pity you because you are eating out by yourself? It's the worst."

Harry flushed. "I'm sorry; I didn't mean to make you sit alone." He smiled. "If you didn't want to sit alone I wouldn't have minded coming here in what I had on."  
"Harry Potter, I am not taking you to a nice restaurant in joggers and a holy t-shirt."

"Why not? It could be nice. That way everyone would know that you're the cute one in our relationship."

"Please, everyone already knows I'm the cute one. I'm also the one that will hit you if you leave me to be pitied by the vultures again."

"Alright, alright." Harry held up his hands in defeat. "I'll try to be better about it next time." He takes Ginny's hand. "You know I love you right? I just want what's best for you."

"I know, you big sap."

HGDMHGDM

 _Hermione sat in shock and stared at her boyfriend with wide eyes. "I… I don't know what to say right now." She blinked back tears. "Draco… I"_ She blinked a few times before taking his hand in hers. "I love you but don't you think this is a bit fast?"

Draco could feel his heart breaking. "What?"

"No Draco, I won't marry you. Yet. It's too soon."

"Nothing's too soon if you find your person. Hermione, you're my person!" Draco could feel himself tearing up, but not the tears he was expecting to fall when he popped the question. "Please."

Hermione wrapped her arms around Draco and knelt onto the floor with him. "Oh Draco, I love but I can't see myself getting married right now. I need to focus on my job and making the Wizarding World better for everyone. I can't have distractions."

This time it was Draco stiffening and pulling back. "Am I a distraction?"

"No! I love you and want to marry you some day, just not now when I have to focus on everything!"

Draco removed himself from Hermione's arms and stood. "Alright, I can wait while you fix the rest of the Wizarding World." He walked out of their bedroom, Hermione heard the floo activate shortly after.

Hermione climbed into her empty bed, not needing to check anything to know that her boyfriend had gone back to the manor for the night. She just wished that that conversation hadn't fallen apart like it did. She stayed awake all night thinking of the different things she could have done to stop him from walking out that door.


	33. Getting Another Perspective

_Oh my goodness I don't think I've ever been more pleased with how a chapter has turned out. Don't forget to review, you've been really good these past few chapters.  
_

* * *

Ron was sitting in the back garden with a blanket wrapped around his shoulders. "Alright Ron, just clear your mind. Don't think about anything. Breathe in, breathe out." The babbling monologue in his head did not lend itself to trances but Ron refused to fall asleep once again. "Breathe In…. Breathe Out… In… Out" Ron was breathing in time with his thoughts until the world fell away from him and he could no longer feel the grass beneath himself. Ron used all of his power to not get too excited and ruin his trance-state. The moment that thought crossed his mind the world came back into focus and Ron through himself backwards with a cry of "FUCK!"

Luna popped her head out of the house with a grin. "Something happen?"

Ron wrapped the blanket tighter around himself and pouted up at the blonde. "I almost had it but I got too excited and ruined everything." He let his head fall back onto the grass and sighed dejectedly. "I'll never get this."

Luna practically floated down the stairs and sat down next to Ron, pulling his head into her lap. "You are not Hermione, you sat through three years of Divination and that means something." She ran her fingers through his hair with one hand, smoothing the crease that had formed between his brows with the other.

Ron melted into her embrace, the calming feel of her fingers on his scalp soothing him. The world fell away from him as he focused on Luna and feel of her fingers. His mind floated to the runes that he had been trying to figure out for what seemed like ages and had actually only been _. The runes seemed to reform in his head and the difficult information seemed to come to him as easily as breathing. One string of runes stood out to him. **Fidelity, Harmony, Fertility, Wisdom, Power, Love,** and **Honor**

Those were marriage runes. Ron sat up suddenly. Luna smiled at him serenely. "So?"

Ron laughed; trust Luna to turn her proposal into a riddle. "Oh you silly Ravenclaw, yes!" They kissed in the garden, Ron knocking Luna back into the grass with his love.

HGDM

As soon as the sun crested over the horizon Hermione sent an owl to Neville. By the time she was ready for the day he was stumbling through the floo. "Merlin Hermione, what's wrong?" He asked and he straightened his clothing and dusted the soot off of himself.

Hermione sniffed once, before plopping down onto the couch. "Oh Neville I've ruined everything! I don't want to rush into things and I don't think he believed that I love him and he's left me all alone!" He head fell into her hands. "I should have explained everything differently and then this wouldn't have happened and he wouldn't have left me." She looked up with tears in her eyes. "I don't even know if we're still together or not."

Neville sat down next to her. "Whoa whoa whoa" He pulled Hermione into a hug. "What happened? I thought you and Draco were doing great?"

"Draco proposed last night. I told him that I wanted to wait because I am a new Minister and I need to focus on my job, and planning a wedding would take up too much of my time." Hermione took a shuddering breath. "I do want to marry Draco one day once I've settled into the job and have more time to focus on the wedding, but Draco walked out last night and I didn't get a good chance to explain anything!"

Neville began to run circles on her back. "Hermione, Draco just needs some time to himself, there's no way that he'd walk out on you for good. You just need to go to him later today and tell him you've changed your mind."

Hermione was confused. "What? I haven't changed my mind!"  
"There's never going to be a good time to get married, or have kids. You just do it and hope for the best. Look at me and Hannah! She's running the pub and I'm a new professor. We love each other and want to get married, so we are. There's no guarantee that things calm down in the future. You gotta take your happiness where you can get it."

"What's good for you and Hannah isn't necessarily good for me and Draco. I want to wait and get settled into my career before we get married so I can push off children until I'm ready. Right now Narcissa is happy that Draco's happy but once it is safe for us to have kids I'll have to deal with that and I'm not ready to have children for years yet!" Hermione stands up and begins pacing. "I love Draco and Narcissa has been very lovely about us dating but I don't want to listen to her talk about how nice grandbabies would be! I see Draco in my future but I want to focus on the now." She turned to her friend. "Thanks for listening to me Neville. I'll go talk to Draco later."

HGDM

After Neville left Hermione smiled to herself as she puttered around her flat, tidying up and making a shopping list. Around three the floo lit up. Thinking that it was Draco coming home Hermione called out "Coming!" as she set her things down and skipped into the room. "Oh Dra-" Hermione trailed off at the sight of the woman standing in her home.

"Hello Miss Granger. I think we have some talking to do."

"Narcissa, why don't you sit down?" Narcissa sniffed at the scruffy couch but sat down nonetheless. "What did you want to talk about?" Hermione asked, perching herself on the loveseat.

"I would assume that is obvious. You've broken Draco's heart and now I am here to fix it." She folded her hands in her lap. "You will either break it off so that I may present a suitable bride for him or agree to become his wife." She leveled Hermione with a glare, cutting off any response. "I liked you, Miss Granger. You were not my first pick for Draco but he was happy so I was willing to look past your unfortunate heritage but I will not stand for you stomping on his heart and chasing him of your tiny flat."

"But-" Hermione's response was silenced by a single raised eyebrow.

"I don't care about your petty reasons but I will not have my pride and joy sulking in his bedroom because some Muggleborn decided that my Draco was good enough to date but not enough to marry." Narcissa stood, wiping her dress of with a scowl. "You have 24 hours to break it off or say yes. You do not want to make me unhappy Miss Granger, I promise you that." With those parting words, Narcissa turned and glided through the floo: leaving a very confused and pissed off Hermione alone.


	34. Shattered Wedding Bells

_*SCREECHES* So this week has been very busy for me. I had nothing written or planned out until today and then my computer decided to say "fuck you" for most of the day. I almost had this chapter up and posted before midnight but instead I am trash and now it's 20 minutes past midnight so that's a thing. On the bright side this is my longest chapter yet because Harry was feeling v chatty. Enjoy and please tell me you like it because it is a panic fueled dumpsterfire. Thanks.  
_

* * *

Harry scanned through today's the last weeks papers again. At first he thought it was a trick or a coincidence but after extensive searching Harry has realized that Hermione and Draco had not been photographed together or made an appearance in public together for days. There was only one possible explanation for the wizarding world's most important power couple to go underground: they've broken up. Harry was beside himself with joy. He scanned over his papers one last time before he got too excited over nothing but everything checked out. The papers themselves were speculating on what could be the reason for the radio silence: pregnancy and a breakup where some of the tamer conclusions that they had jumped to.

Being friends with Hermione for years gave Harry the insight that the papers did not have. The only reason she stays holed up for days at a time is when people forget to drag her out into the world, and if her and Draco broke up then there is no one to drag her out into the world. Therefore, they've broken up. After doting all the I's and crossing the t's Harry threw his hands into the air in celebration. "THEY'RE THROUGH!" He exclaimed, causing Ginny to pop her head into his office. Frowning at the mess about the room she cautiously asked, "Who's through?"

"Hermione and Draco of course! Now that they're over I can go back to being The Boy Who Lived and everything will turn out perfect! I've never been happier!"

"Harry! That's awful! She was your friend! You can't be happy that her and Draco are unhappy. That's rude."

"But everything is looking up now! We can be happy now! Don't you see?"

Ginny shook her head. "Harry, I thought we were happy now?" She steps into the messy room and takes his hand. "Are you not happy with me?"

"What? No, of course I am. I love you Ginny. We're getting married."

"But you seem more invested in Hermione's failed relationship with Draco than you are with me right now." Ginny sighed. "Harry I love you but I don't want to spend the rest of my life competing with other couples for your attention."

"But I've been so attentive lately!"

"You've been attentive in spurts. It takes us visiting my mother and her renewing the fear in your heart for you to act right again."

"That's not true! I love you Gin."

"Can you promise me that you'll leave them alone? Can you prove to me that you love me by leaving Hermione and Draco alone?"

Harry looked lost. "But Gin, I need to keep tabs on them so I can know when things can get better for us. I want to make the best life for you possible."

Ginny sighed and released his hands. "That's what I thought Harry." She brushed his bangs away from his face and kissed him on the forehead. "I love you but I won't compete. Have fun trying to make a better life for yourself, but it's not going to be with me." She took the ring off her finger and placed it in his hands. "I'll go talk to mom about letting everyone know. Goodbye Harry. I hope you're happy."

Harry stood in the middle of the scattered newspapers, staring after Ginny, clutching the ring to his chest: partially sad that she was going, and partially relieved that he could spend all his time plotting his return to proper The Boy Who Lived status.

HGDMHGDM

Hermione stood in front of her fireplace, watching the flames flicker merrily with a fistful of floo powder in her grip. "Alright Hermione, just go in there and tell him you love him. Don't let him forget that I don't want to break up, but we can't get married until everything calms down. I've spent too much of my life surrounded by chaos to not let myself have some calm." She took two deep breaths before tossing the powder and stepping into the green flames with a call of "Malfoy Manor!"

Stumbling through to the other side, Hermione barely managed to stop herself from falling flat on her face. She straightened up, glad that no one was in the room to watch her mistake. Noticing that she had been rerouted to a guest floo, Hermione felt a pang in her heart. The last time she had been here she came through the family's floo entrance. Dipsy shook her out of her reverie. He bowed and spoke in his haughty tone. "Dipsy is pleased to see Miss here. She will follow Dipsy to Young Master's office." Hermione followed silently behind the small elf, passing through vaguely familiar hallways and paintings as they walked. "Missy will wait here for Master." The elf bowed once more before **popping** out of existence.

A few minutes later Draco walked into the room. "Dipsy said you wanted to see me, Hermione?" He looked paler than normal and had dark circles under his eyes.

"Yes." She took a deep breath. "I just wanted to say that I love you and do want to get married some day but I spent seven years with people trying to kill me and having loads of pressure at every turn. I just started this high stress job and I love it but I don't want to add even more stress right now." She smiled warily. "You are a great for me and I love you for that, but I had to go and mess that up by turning you down and I'm sorry." She went to go for a hug but thought better of it at the last second, her hands hovering awkwardly in the air.

Draco took a hesitant step forward before enveloping Hermione in a hug. "I love you to. You broke my heart and I didn't understand why you didn't want me anymore. You don't have to worry about anything. I'll hire a wedding planner and I can temper my mother so that some of your taste is involved in the plans. You won't have anything stressful to do if you don't want to." Draco hugged tighter. "I'm so glad we worked this out."

Hermione kissed Draco on the neck softly before answering back. "Draco, I still don't want to think about getting married yet." She didn't let him pull back. "You can't run out on me this time Draco I need you to listen. I Love You and want to get married **Someday** , just not **Today**. After I've been in office for a year I'll get engaged. I just need time to settle into the position."

"We could have a long engagement?"

"The second we put marriage on the table your mother is going to streamline the process and she'll have us married within the month. After we started dating I looked into pureblood marriage customs. The engagement always ends fairly soon after both parties are of age."

"Hermione those are for marriage contracts that are instated at a young age."  
"Draco, most pureblood contracts are ones that are implemented days after the youngest party is born. There's hardly a situation like ours."

"Exactly! We can do whatever we want, there's no one like us!" Draco gave Hermione a hopeful look. "This answer isn't one we can get from a book, so I hope that you can agree to throw all of that stuff out the window. Let us have a long engagement, you can throw some Muggle traditions into the ceremony, whatever you want to make you feel better. I love you and want you to wear my ring. I want you to be Mrs. Draco Malfoy."

Hermione wiped a tear from her eye. "I was actually thinking I'd hyphenate." She giggled. "But that sounds really nice. I think I want to throw out all the traditions with you."

Draco kissed her and then dropped down on one knee. Dipsy popped in very quickly to hand Draco the ring before leaving. "Hermione Granger, will you do me the honor of throwing out everything ever known about pureblood traditions and becoming Mrs. Hermione Granger-Malfoy after a year's time?"

Hermione burst out laughing and dropped to her knees, wrapping her arms around his neck and kissing him soundly on the lips. "Yes."


	35. Weddings Plans

_Hey everybody! Sorry this one is a bit shorter, it was like pulling teeth! Anyways, don't forget to tell me what you think! Love ya!_

* * *

 _Minister Granger Seen Flashing a Large Diamond_

 _Today during a routine visit to Saint Mungos Hermione Granger was seen wearing a rather large piece of jewelry. As you can see in the above photo, the ring catches in the light beautifully as Minister Granger opens doors. We can only speculate that the Heir to the Malfoy Name, Draco Malfoy, has popped the question to his now fiancée during their week of hiding. This reporter can only imagine the magical vacation that she was swept away on only to be proposed to romantically at the end. I'm sure I am not speaking alone when I say that I can't wait to hear about the romantic evening at a later date._

 _Malfoy Heir and Minister Granger Travel to Paris_

 _Minister Granger took a trip to Paris to speak with Wizarding France's Minister of Magic. Her fiancé, Draco Malfoy, came along with her. In between meetings with the French Minister, the couple traipsed around the City of Love to see all the sights and take in the romance. The couple was possibly looking at a potential honeymoon location. We can only hope that the trip was a success: both for Wizarding relations between the two countries and for honeymooning._

 _Wedding of the Century to Be Held at Malfoy Manor in Two Months_

 _In an interview with the Bride of the Century herself, this reporter got first hand knowledge of certain aspects of the most talked about wedding since Helga and Salazar. The couple has decided to have a small wedding that will hold a few close family, friends, and important dignitaries from Britain's allies. So we can probably expect the French Minister to stop by for the wedding. There is even a rumor of the President of the MACUSA to make an appearance; even though in the past Britain's relationship with America has been strained. While the wedding itself will be private_ The Daily Prophet _will be at the reception to get the inside scoop on who is there and get fabulous pictures of the blushing bride._

* * *

The year seemed to fly by for Hermione. She was turning Wizarding Britain on its head and spending time with her fiancé. She visited dignitaries, even going as far to take a trip to America to talk to the President, and traveled the world with Draco at the same time. She would spend one weekend out of the month to go over wedding plans with Narcissa and Draco, having the tone some things down. Hermione took great joy in inserting muggle traditions into the wizarding ceremony. She would walk down an aisle in a dress and she wanted to be able to say her own vows, not just the ones required for her binding to be completed. The changes didn't seem to irk Narcissa, who was back to being charming and nice whenever they interacted. It left Hermione with a slightly unsettled feeling that the woman could act like she never threatened Hermione in her own home just because everything worked out for her in the end, but Hermione ignored it in favor of focusing on Draco, the wedding, and running the country.

"Narcissa, must we really invite foreign dignitaries? I know what the _Prophet_ insinuated but we don't actually have to, right? I really did just want this to be about us and not about politics.

"My dear, you're a politician. Now I may just be a trophy wife but I can navigate politics as well as Lucius can. If you don't invite them, you are snubbing them. You are a politician, everything is politics now. Get over it." Narcissa patted Hermione on the hand and finished addressing the last parchment, before passing them all out to different owls. "Now go run along and find Draco, I would like the two of you to pick out the style for the napkins before you leave. Thank you."


	36. The Wedding

_36 chapters and it's finally complete! I would like to thank everyone who has stuck around since the beginning and everyone who has reviewed/followed/favorited. I write for you guys and I love each and every one of you. I might write an epilogue sometime in the next few weeks but that's all based on if y'all want one. Also, keep on the lookout for my very first attempt at a Veela fic that will be coming out soon and Happy Early Valentines Day :3  
_

* * *

Hermione wakes slowly, feeling the heavy weight of Draco's arm wrapped around her middle. She smiles into the early morning air and snuggles deeper into his embrace. "Good morning." He whispers, his voice husky with sleep. He dips his head into the nest that her hair became overnight and Hermione can feel the smile on his lips as he kisses her hair.

"Good morning." She replies, entwining their hands. "We're getting married today."

"Indeed. How does it feel to know that you'll be Mrs. Malfoy in a few hours?"

"Minister Malfoy-Granger does have a nice ring to it, doesn't it?"

Draco chuckled quietly behind her. "Yes it does." Pressing one last kiss in her hair, he began to climb out of the bed. "I shall see you in a few hours."  
"I'll be the one in white."

As soon as Draco approaches the door, it swings open and Narcissa strides into the room. "Darling I love you but I need to get your bride ready for her wedding day. Now shoo."

Draco gave Narcissa a kiss on the cheek. "Of course mother" He then strode out the bedroom door, giving Hermione one last goodbye as he went.

"Yes, how adorable. Get up Hermione; we have much work to do before you are ready to step into the circle." Hermione slowly climbed out of the bed, thankful that she had slept in nightclothes last night. Narcissa tutted and approached. She felt a little like a child who was about to be scolded as Narcissa walked around her. "Alright, now go take a shower. You need to be clean for me to paint the runes on your body."

Hermione bolted to the bathroom, thankful to be out from under Narcissa's piercing gaze. She took her time in the shower, making sure she was perfect. After stepping out of the spray Hermione realized that she had forgotten to grab a robe. She slowly dried off and quickly transfigured her towel into a decent robe and slipped it on before stepping out into the bedroom where Narcissa sat with a paintbrush and herbal smelling paint jars.

"Good, you're done. Now take off the robe and come stand here."

Hermione blanched. "Couldn't I do them myself? It's fine. I'm very good with runes. I got an O on my Ancient Runes N.E.W.T.S."

"No. They must be perfect and I refuse to have them ruined just because you cannot draw upside down on your own body. Now take off that robe and come stand here. You will not be bonded until you are adorned with these runes."

Hermione sighed and walked over to Narcissa. "There are runes that go on my hand and forehead. Do those first."

Narcissa sighed like Hermione has imposed the worst possible imposition on her. "Fine, don't move." She dipped the brush into the open jar and stood to her full height. She began gently painting the rune for Wisdom across the center of Hermione forehead. After a minute she stopped and surveyed her work. "Perfect." She grabbed Hermione left hand and dipped the brush into the pot one more time before inscribing Harmony onto the back of her hand. She blew on it before grabbing Hermione's right forearm and deftly painting Power there. After it dried she looked at Hermione and spoke one word. "Strip"

With a sigh Hermione shrugged off her transfigured robe, careful not to smudge the runes already done. Narcissa dipped the brush in the pot one more time and drew Love over Hermione's heart and Fertility above her navel. Dipping the brush one last time, Narcissa knelt down to place Honor on one thigh and Fidelity on the other. "Now, don't ruin anything while they set." She strode from the room to fetch Hermione dress.

When she came back they carefully maneuvered Hermione into her gown; Narcissa wanted to spell it on but Hermione refused to use magic on the muggle garment. Once she was dressed, the pair sat in silence for a few moments before it was time for the bonding ceremony to start.

* * *

Draco and Hermione smile at each from either side of the uncrossed ritual circle. The officiate motions for the couple to step over the rune-carved stones. As they cross the runes flare with bright blue light and the watching crowd lets off a gasp. Draco beams and Hermione has tears in her eyes. They grasp hands and the small wizard on the cusp of the ritual circle clears his throat before beginning. "The couple has decided to recite their own vows before the bonding takes place."

Draco took a deep breath, the sound wavering as he removed a piece of parchment from the inside of his robes. "Bear with me if I get choked up a bit." The crowd laughed. "Hermione, I love you with all of my heart. You are my everything and have been for a long time. The day I heard you shouting like a mad woman in the middle of the Leaky I knew you were the one for me. You were sitting there, hair sparking and shouting at Potter like you didn't care that the whole bloody building was staring at you." He paused to take a deep breath and wipe the tears from his eyes. He glanced back down at the parchment in his hands. "I was so pleased that you were able to look past the years of me being a little twat at Hogwarts and agree to go out with me. I couldn't believe it then and I can't believe it now that you would agree to become my wife." He paused, his breath catching in his throat. "I love you Hermione Granger and I plan on doing it until the day I die."

Hermione let out a watery laugh. "Maybe I should have gone first, I'm not sure I can top that." She wrings her hands together. "Every time I tried to write something out it was two feet long and was never perfect so I'm going to do the least Hermione thing I've ever done in my entire life and wing it." The crowd laughs as she takes a deep breath and smoothes out her dress. "Draco Malfoy I love you but we had a very rocky start. I am glad that I was able to look past it all because now I don't know what my life would look like without you in it. I can't wait to wake up every morning and see you laying there beside me. Our first date was far from perfect but I'm glad I didn't let you get away from me. You encouraged me to run for Minister even when I didn't think I could do it. You push me everyday to be a better version of myself and I am forever grateful for you." Hermione took a raggedy breath. "I love you Draco Malfoy and I can't wait to start this next portion of our lives together."

Everyone was crying. Hermione was blessing magic because it stopped her makeup from running down her face. The officiate cleared his throat and spoke to the crowd once again. "We will now commence with the bonding." In a quieter tone he spoke directly to Hermione and Draco. "Please grab hands now and I would like you to repeat after me Mr. Malfoy." Draco nodded, and held Hermione's hands in a light grip. "I vow to remain faithful. I vow to love and honor you forever. I vow to bow to your wisdom in the name of harmony. I vow to lend you my power when you are in need."

Draco's voice rang out strong into the afternoon air. "I vow to remain faithful. I vow to love and honor you forever. I vow to bow to your wisdom in the name of harmony. I vow to lend you my power when you are in need."

The small wizard turned to Hermione with a gentle smile. "Now it's your turn Miss Granger." Hermione gave Draco's hands a squeeze and smiled at the officiate. "I vow to remain faithful. I vow to love and honor you forever. I vow to bow to your wisdom in the name of harmony. I vow to lend you my power when you are in need."

"I vow to remain faithful. I vow to love and honor you forever. I vow to bow to your wisdom in the name of harmony. I vow to lend you my power when you are in need."

A bright blue light enveloped the pair after Hermione said her part, after the light had dimmed the onlookers cheered. For their part, Hermione and Draco didn't seem to notice anything but each other.


End file.
